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Free calculator· Australia · Christmas and New Year 2026-27

Public holiday pay rate calculator

Under the Hospitality, General Retail, Fast Food and Restaurant awards, hours worked on a public holiday are paid at 225% of the base rate for full-time and part-time staff and 250% for casuals, which includes the casual loading. Permanent staff who are given a day off they would normally work are paid their base rate for those ordinary hours.

Casuals: the 25% loading is added to the penalty, not multiplied (225% + 25 = 250% under the main awards). A casual who doesn’t work the day isn’t paid for it.

225% is the permanent rate under the Retail, Hospitality, Fast Food and Restaurant awards; the calculator adds the casual loading for casuals.

Total public holiday pay

$540.00

Public holiday rate (% of base)
225%
Public holiday hourly rate
$67.50/hr
Extra vs ordinary hours
$300.00

Rostering Christmas week? See the cost before you publish.

RosterElf warns you when a shift falls on a public holiday you have set for that site, and costs it at the pay rates you set. Award packs are available for Hospitality, Restaurant, Clubs and Fast Food. On any other award, you enter the public holiday rate once in the pay rate builder.

Start free trial How pay rates are set

Public holiday rates checked against the Fair Work pay guides on (General Retail MA000004, Hospitality MA000009, Fast Food MA000003, Restaurant MA000119). Dates from Fair Work’s public holiday list, updated 28 October 2026. Super is not in the figure. An estimate for planning, not pay advice. Sources

Christmas and New Year

Public holidays from Christmas Eve 2026 to New Year's Day 2027

Boxing Day falls on a Saturday this year, so most states add a public holiday on Monday 28 December. Part-day holidays run from the evening to midnight.

StateThu 24 DecFri 25 DecSat 26 DecMon 28 DecThu 31 DecFri 1 Jan
ACT–Christmas DayBoxing DayAdditional day–New Year's Day
NSW–Christmas DayBoxing DayAdditional day–New Year's Day
NTFrom 7pmChristmas DayBoxing DayAdditional dayFrom 7pmNew Year's Day
QldFrom 6pmChristmas DayBoxing DayAdditional day–New Year's Day
SAFrom 7pmChristmas DayProclamation DayAdditional dayFrom 7pmNew Year's Day
Tas–Christmas Day–Boxing Day–New Year's Day
Vic–Christmas DayBoxing DayAdditional day–New Year's Day
WA–Christmas DayBoxing DayAdditional day–New Year's Day

Some states also declare regional or local holidays; check Fair Work’s public holiday list for the location where each employee works. Planning the week? Start from the free weekly staff roster template, and read how to roster public holidays.

In RosterElf

Every shift costed while you build the roster

The same sum, done for the whole week before you publish.

A manager holding a laptop and coffee beside RosterElf’s wage cost panel, showing planned hours, wage cost and 94% of the weekly budget

Wage cost shown as you add each shift

Live wage costBudget vs actual
  • Wage cost updates as you add, move or delete a shift
  • Award packs for Hospitality, Restaurant, Clubs and Fast Food
  • For any other award, you enter the rates once
  • Budget against actual, by week

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Penalty rates and overtime calculatorWeekend, evening and overtime rates by awardCasual loading calculatorAdd the 25% casual loading to any rateHow to roster public holidaysPlanning public holiday shifts and payHospitality award pay rates2026/27 rates for the Hospitality AwardGeneral Retail award pay rates2026/27 rates for the General Retail AwardFast Food award pay rates2026/27 rates for the Fast Food AwardRestaurant award pay rates2026/27 rates for the Restaurant AwardClubs award pay rates2026/27 rates for the Registered Clubs Award
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Sources: Fair Work Ombudsman pay guides, 2026-27: General Retail MA000004 Table 12; Hospitality MA000009 cl 29.2 and cl 29.4; Fast Food MA000003 Table 6; Restaurant MA000119; Clubs MA000058 Schedule B; Fair Work Ombudsman, public holidays 2026 and 2027 (updated 28 October 2026); National Employment Standards (s116, payment for absence on a public holiday); ATO, qualifying earnings for super. Disclaimer.

FAQ

Public holiday pay questions

  • Multiply the base hourly rate by the award’s public holiday rate and the hours worked. A permanent employee working 8 hours at 225% is paid the equivalent of 18 hours at the base rate, and the employer adds 12% super on it. Casuals use 250%, which already includes their loading, so don’t add 25% on top.

  • Usually more than double. The Hospitality, General Retail, Fast Food and Restaurant awards pay permanent staff 225% and casuals 250% for public holiday hours, and the Clubs award schedules show 250%. Other awards and enterprise agreements set their own rate, so check the one that covers the employee.

  • Yes, if they work the day. Under the main awards a casual gets 250% of the base rate: the 225% permanent rate plus the 25 points of casual loading. Casuals who don’t work a public holiday aren’t paid for it.

  • Full-time and part-time employees are paid their base rate for the ordinary hours they would have worked that day, under the National Employment Standards. Casuals aren’t. If the public holiday isn’t one of their usual working days, there is no payment.

  • Under some awards, yes. The Hospitality award pays a full-time or part-time employee at least 4 hours and a casual at least 2 hours for working a public holiday, even for a shorter shift. Check your award’s public holiday clause before rostering short shifts.

  • Christmas Day is Friday 25 December 2026. Boxing Day falls on Saturday 26 December, so most states and territories add a public holiday on Monday 28 December; Tasmania’s Boxing Day is the Monday. New Year’s Day is Friday 1 January 2027. The table above lists every state, from Fair Work.