Pay & entitlements
Public holiday pay & penalty rates explained (2026)
What public holiday pay and penalty rates mean in 2026 — your right to a paid day off, what you're owed for working a public holiday, and how to check your award.
Public holidays are one of the most misunderstood parts of an Australian pay slip. There's a paid day off, a penalty rate if you work, and a different answer again if you're casual. This guide explains how each piece works in 2026 and how to check what you're owed.
The detail is set by your award, enterprise agreement or employment contract — there's no single national rate. So treat the numbers here as typical ranges, then confirm your exact entitlement against the Fair Work Ombudsman's public holidays page.
The two things a public holiday can mean for your pay
There are two separate entitlements, and which applies depends on whether you work the day:
- A paid day off. If you're a permanent (full-time or part-time) employee and the public holiday falls on a day you'd normally work, you're generally entitled to be paid your ordinary rate for that day without working — this is "public holiday pay" under the National Employment Standards (NES).
- A penalty rate for working it. If you do work the public holiday, your award or agreement usually sets a higher rate for those hours.
Typical public holiday penalty rates
Penalty rates vary by industry, but a common pattern looks like this:
| Day worked | Common penalty rate (of ordinary rate) |
|---|---|
| Ordinary weekday | 100% (base) |
| Saturday | 125% – 150% |
| Sunday | 150% – 200% |
| Public holiday | 200% – 250% |
These are illustrative — your award sets the real figure. For example, retail, hospitality and health awards each set their own public holiday rates, and casuals often have the casual loading folded into the penalty differently. Use the Fair Work Pay and Conditions Tool to find the exact rate for your job.
Casual vs permanent on a public holiday
This is where people get caught out:
- Permanent employees who would normally work that day generally get the paid day off even if the workplace closes.
- Casual employees are usually only paid if they work the public holiday — but when they do, the public holiday penalty rate applies on top of (or in place of) the casual loading, depending on the award.
If you're weighing up casual versus permanent work, the public holiday treatment is one of the real differences in total pay — we cover the whole comparison in Casual vs permanent: the real take-home difference.
Can you be required to work?
Under the NES, an employer can make a reasonable request for you to work a public holiday, and you can reasonably refuse. "Reasonable" weighs things like the nature of the work, how much notice you were given, your family responsibilities and what your award says. The Fair Work Ombudsman lists the full set of factors.
How a public holiday changes when you're paid
Penalty rates change how much you're paid; public holidays can also change when the money lands, because banks don't process most payments on holidays. If your payday falls on one, see When does my pay land if payday is a public holiday or weekend?.
Estimate only — not legal or financial advice. Penalty rates and public holiday entitlements are set by your award, enterprise agreement or contract and differ by state and territory. Always confirm with the Fair Work Ombudsman or check your specific instrument.
Once you know your hourly and penalty rates, you can log the shift and see an estimated take-home in PayClock's pay clock — handy for checking a public holiday shift actually came through correctly.