Public holidays policy template
A free, ready-to-edit public holidays policy template for Australian workplaces. Set out the right to be absent, when you can reasonably request work, penalty rates and substitute days — aligned with the National Employment Standards, no signup required.
Public holidays policy
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By downloading, you agree to our template disclaimer
This public holidays policy template reflects the National Employment Standards and Australian public holiday rules at the time of publication and is provided as a general guide to adapt for your business, modern award or enterprise agreement. It does not constitute legal, HR, or professional advice and should not be relied on as a substitute for advice specific to your business, workforce, or circumstances.
Why your workplace needs a public holidays policy
Under the National Employment Standards (NES), every employee is entitled to be absent from work on a public holiday. If a public holiday falls on a day they would ordinarily work, permanent employees are paid their base rate for the day without making up the hours. The rules around reasonable requests to work, reasonable refusal and substitute days, however, are some of the most misunderstood in Australian workplaces.
For any business that trades on public holidays — hospitality, retail, healthcare and aged care especially — a clear policy prevents disputes, supports compliance and gives staff certainty about their entitlements and pay. It is most important in 7-day operations, where working public holidays is routine rather than exceptional.
A documented policy also pairs with how you plan and pay those days. Store it and capture acknowledgements in your HR software, build your holiday roster with rostering software, and follow our guide to rostering public holidays so the right penalty rates flow through to pay.
What a public holidays policy should cover
The essentials of a compliant public holidays framework
Recognised public holidays
The national, state and territory public holidays the policy applies to.
Entitlement to be absent
The NES right to a paid day off when a public holiday falls on an ordinary working day.
Reasonable requests to work
When an employer can ask staff to work, and the factors that make a request reasonable.
Reasonable refusal
When an employee can reasonably refuse to work a public holiday.
Penalty rates
How public holiday penalty rates apply under the relevant award or agreement.
Substitute days & casuals
Substituting a holiday by agreement and how casual and part-time staff are treated.
What's included in this template
A complete framework for managing public holidays at work
Purpose & scope
Why the policy exists and which employees it applies to.
Recognised public holidays
National and state or territory public holidays the policy covers.
Entitlement to be absent
The NES right to be absent and to base-rate pay on an ordinary working day.
Reasonable requests to work
When the employer can request work on a public holiday.
Reasonable refusal
The factors an employee can rely on to refuse a request.
Penalty rates & loadings
Pay for working a public holiday under the award or agreement.
Substitute days
Substituting a public holiday for another day by agreement.
Part-time & casual employees
How entitlements differ for part-time and casual staff.
State & territory variations
Recognising local public holidays where employees are based.
Review & acknowledgement
Policy maintenance and employee sign-off.
Getting public holiday rules right
The Fair Work detail that protects your business and your team
A request to work must be reasonable
Under the NES an employer can ask an employee to work on a public holiday, but only if the request is reasonable — and the employee may reasonably refuse. Reasonableness weighs the employee’s personal circumstances (including family responsibilities), the needs of the business, whether the work is full-time, part-time, casual or shift work, the penalty rates on offer, and how much notice was given. Spell these factors out so the conversation is fair on both sides.
Pay the correct penalty rate
Employees who work a public holiday are usually entitled to a penalty rate set by their modern award or enterprise agreement — commonly double time and a half (250%), though some awards allow an alternative day off in lieu. Always check the specific award rather than assuming a single rate applies.
How the public holiday rules work
Absent on the day
Permanent staff are entitled to be absent and paid their base rate for ordinary hours.
Reasonable request
The employer may reasonably request work, considering notice and circumstances.
Reasonable refusal
The employee can reasonably refuse if the request is unreasonable.
Substitute by agreement
A holiday may be substituted for another day where the award or agreement allows it.
Casual employees are generally not paid for a public holiday they don’t work, but receive their casual penalty rate if they do. Part-time employees are entitled to be absent without loss of pay only when a public holiday falls on a day they would ordinarily work — see our guide to calculating leave entitlements.
Public holidays vary by state and territory, so apply the holidays gazetted where each employee is based for work. The Fair Work Ombudsman publishes the current list of public holidays and the rules on requesting work and substitution, and is the authoritative reference when tailoring this policy to your award or agreement.
Who should use this template?
Essential for any business that trades on public holidays
Most valuable for 7-day operations where working public holidays is routine rather than exceptional.
Compliance resources
Official guidance on public holiday entitlements and pay.
Roster public holidays the easy way
RosterElf helps Australian businesses build public holiday rosters, apply the right penalty rates, store policies and capture employee acknowledgements — all in one place.
Related guides
Plan and pay public holidays correctly
Related templates
Build a complete leave & attendance framework
Public holidays policy FAQ
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A public holidays policy sets out how an organisation manages public holidays in line with the National Employment Standards. It lists the public holidays it recognises, explains the entitlement to be absent and to base-rate pay, covers when the employer can reasonably request work, the penalty rates that apply, and how holidays can be substituted by agreement.
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Yes. The template provides a solid foundation aligned with the National Employment Standards, but you should tailor it to your workplace, any applicable modern award or enterprise agreement, and the public holidays gazetted in each state or territory where your staff are based. Store it and capture sign-off in your HR software.
Before you download
General information only — not legal advice
This document is a general HR template provided for informational purposes only. It is not legal advice and may not reflect the latest changes in legislation or apply to every workplace situation. RosterElf Pty Ltd and the template provider accept no liability for any loss arising from reliance on this document. Users should seek independent legal advice and customise the template to ensure it complies with all relevant laws, awards and workplace requirements.