How do I pay employees for Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday, and Anzac Day?
- Which days are public holidays?
- Which days are restricted trading days?
- Can employees refuse to work on Easter Sunday?
- What do I pay people if can't offer them their usual working hours due to trading restrictions?
- Further learning.
Which days are public holidays?
- Good Friday (Friday 2 April).
- Easter Monday (Monday 5 April).
- ANZAC Day (Observed on Sunday 25 April or Monday 26 April).
Days that are not public holidays
- Easter Sunday.
Which days are 'restricted shop trading days', and what does this mean?
Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Anzac Day (25 April until 1:00pm) are restricted trading days.
Almost all shops are required to be closed, other than shops with exclusions either due to the nature of their trade (petrol stations, cafes etc.), or those with area exemptions as prescribed by local Council bylaws.
What do I pay my staff?
All employees who work on a public holiday must be paid at the rate of at least time-and-a-half for the hours worked.
In addition, if the public holiday was an otherwise working day for the employee (i.e. a day they would normally work), then they must also be given an alternative holiday (a day in lieu).
As Easter Sunday is not a public holiday, usual rates of pay apply.
Can employees refuse to work on Easter Sunday?
Yes, all shop employees have the right to refuse to work on Easter Sunday, and they don’t have to provide you with a reason for their refusal.
If you want to require your employee to work, you must notify them at least 4 weeks (but not more than 8 weeks) before Easter Sunday of this requirement. This notice must be in writing.
Should an employee refuse, they must notify you within 14 days of your request for them to work. This refusal must be in writing.
If I can't offer people their usual working hours due to trading restrictions, what do I pay them?
Staff need to be paid their minimum contractual hours of work for the relevant pay period, so you need to ensure you can either:
- Make these additional hours available to them during their pay period, so they have the ability to earn their contractual hours within the pay period; or
- Pay them in lieu of working, in good faith.
If the above two options aren’t viable for your business, contact MyHR so we can support you to consult with your team regarding reduced hours of work during the impacted pay periods. This needs to occur well in advance of the public holidays.