Your Christmas 2021 Public Holidays

This silly season, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Years’ Day all fall on the weekend – meaning public holidays aren’t that simple.

We’ve broken down the important stuff you need to know about public holidays this 2021/22 Christmas.

What days do I have off?

Your public holidays depend on what state you’re working in:

NSW, VIC, and WA

• Sat 25 December Christmas Day
• Sun 26 December Boxing Day
• Mon 27 December Additional Day
• Tue 28 December Additional Day
• Sat 1 January New Years Day
• Mon 3 January Additional Day

Northern Territory

• Fri 24 December Christmas Eve (7pm-midnight)
• Sat 25 December Christmas Day
• Sun 26 December Boxing Day
• Mon 27 December Additional Day
• Tue 28 December Additional Day
• Fri 31 January New Years Eve (7pm-midnight)
• Sat 1 January New Years Day
• Mon 3 January Additional Day

Queensland

• Fri 24 December Christmas Eve
• Sat 25 December Christmas Day
• Sun 26 December Boxing Day
• Mon 27 December Additional Day
• Tue 28 December Additional Day
• Sat 1 January New Years Day
• Mon 3 January Additional Day

South Australia

• Fri 24 December Christmas Eve (6pm-midnight)
• Mon 27 December Christmas Day
• Tue 28 December Boxing Day
• Fri 31 January New Years Eve (7pm-midnight)
• Mon 3 January New Years Day

Tasmania

• Sat 25 December Christmas Day
• Mon 27 December Additional Day
• Tue 28 December Boxing Day
• Mon 3 January New Years Day

What’s an additional day?

Some states and territories are substituting their public holidays, and others are creating additional public holidays.

Whether a public holiday has been substituted or an additional public holiday has been declared will impact a worker’s pay over this period.

An additional public holiday is when the state/territory government declares an additional public holiday. In this case, the actual public holiday and the additional day are both to be paid at public holiday rates.

A substituted public holiday (as the name suggests) is whether the government declares that another day (generally the next weekday) to be the public holiday. Only the substitute day will be regarded as a public holiday and the substitute day is to be paid at public holiday rates.

What will I be paid?

Your public holiday rate is always 250% for every hour worked, and if you’re a permanent worker, if your salon is closed, you would be paid your ordinary hours that you would normally work according to your roster.

My boss says I have to work on New Years’ Day. Can I say no? 

If your request is reasonable, you can refuse to work on a public holiday, but your employer can take the following into account:

• the nature of the employer’s workplace (including its operational requirements) and the nature of the work performed by the employee
• the employee’s personal circumstances, including family responsibilities
• whether the employee could reasonably expect that the employer might request work on the public holiday
• the type of employment (for example, full-time, part-time, casual or shiftwork)
• the amount of notice in advance of the public holiday given by the employer when making the request
• the amount of notice in advance of the public holiday given by the employee in refusing the request

Employees are protected from adverse action for having, using, or seeking to use their workplace right to reasonably refuse to work on a public holiday.

What if we shut down over Christmas?

Lots of salons will close for a week or two to give their staff a break over Christmas/New Year.

Your employer can require you to take annual leave if the salon closes – however, you should not be taking annual leave over any public holidays or days that are normally or rostered day off.

Your public holidays are important! If your employer is withholding holiday pay, requiring you to work on a public holiday, or changing your roster to avoid paying for a holiday, please get in touch! Send us a message or join HSA today.