2024/25 Festive Season Public Holidays

The finish line of 2024 is firmly in sight, meaning it is essential to settle plans for the Festive Season. If your business takes a break over Christmas/New Year (temporary shutdown period), your employees need to be given at least 28 days’ notice – or longer, in some Modern Awards – of the requirement to take leave. If you are preparing for your peak period, it is appropriate to have discussions with your staff about their availability for work, especially if shifts will be offered across the public holidays.

The public holiday calendar for all States and Territories for the 2024/25 Festive Season is as follows:

DateDayHoliday
24 December 2024 (QLD only)6pm – midnight, TuesdayChristmas Eve (part-day)
24 December 2024 (NT/SA only)7pm – midnight, TuesdayChristmas Eve (part-day)
25 December 2024WednesdayChristmas Day
26 December 2024ThursdayBoxing Day
31 December 2024 (NT/SA only)7pm – midnight, TuesdayNew Year’s Eve (part-day)
1 January 2025WednesdayNew Year’s Day
27 January 2025MondayAustralia Day Holiday

With all of the above days (and part-days) designated as public holidays, the typical benefits of public holidays attach to all of the above dates. Permanent employees (being full-time or part-time employees) who would ordinarily have rostered hours on the above days, or part-days, will be entitled to be absent without loss of pay, providing their employer does not reasonably request that they work. Employees may also reasonably refuse to perform work on any, or all, of the above dates.

Work on any of these dates will attract the designated public holiday penalty determined by the relevant Modern Award or enterprise agreement.

For confirmation on the entitlements of employees who will not be asked to work over the public holidays, log into your online account, and download our fact sheet, Payment for Public Holidays not worked, available under the ‘Pay’ subheading of our ‘Fact Sheets’ menu.

If you provide essential services and have concerns employees will not want to work over the holidays, or, you are thinking about closing for a break but don’t know what your Modern Award permits, please contact our advice line on (07) 3220 3500 as a priority for clarification on your options.