Silly Season – Public Holidays

With the ‘silly season’ in full swing, everyone is excited to lock up the office, head to the beach or even overseas; along with this, comes the Holidays Act and questions around the Public Holidays and employee entitlements.

Make sure you’re prepared for your Christmas payroll to ensure you are providing your team with their correct entitlements.

Public Holidays:

This silly season, all of the Christmas and New Year holidays fall on weekends, even if your Employee doesn’t usually work weekends, they will likely still be entitled to these holidays through Mondayisation.

  • Sunday, 25 December (observed Monday, 27 December): Christmas Day

  • Monday, 26 December: Boxing Day

  • Sunday, 1 January (observed Tuesday, 3 January): New Year’s Day

  • Monday, 2 January: Day after New Year’s Day

You must recognise Public Holidays for the Christmas - New Year period, on different days, depending on the Employee.

Things to remember:

  • If a Public Holiday falls inside your annual shutdown period, then you are still required to pay Employees for the days they would usually work

  • You must give Employees 14 days’ notice of your annual shutdown

  • If it is unclear what the Employee’s normal working days are, then consider the following factors:

    • Their Employment Agreement – are they casual or permanent?

    • Their work patterns – e.g. rosters

    • What are your reasonable expectations that the Employee would work on the day concerned?

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If you have any questions regarding holiday pay and entitlements, do give the team at People Passion a call on 0800 HRFORU!

Wishing you and your team a safe and joyful Christmas.


 
 

Sarah Lynch

HR Coordinator