Public Holiday Pay Rates in Australia
Public holiday pay under the National Employment Standards, plus the retail, hospitality and fast food award rates for full-time, part-time and casual employees, from 1 July 2026.
General Retail Industry Award 2020. Percentages as the award stands from 1 July 2026.
Paid the award public holiday rate for the hours you work.
Your minimum hourly rate before any casual loading or penalty. Use your junior or higher-than-award rate if it differs.
Before tax and super. Ordinary hours only: overtime, shift loadings and allowances are not included.
The public holiday entitlement for all employees
The National Employment Standards in the Fair Work Act give every employee the right to be absent on a public holiday in the place they are based for work. If you are absent on that day, your employer must pay your base rate of pay for your ordinary hours on the day. That payment is not made if you have no ordinary hours on that day of the week, so a part-time employee who does not work Fridays is not paid for a Friday public holiday, and a casual who is not rostered is not paid.
An employer can ask you to work a public holiday if the request is reasonable, and you can refuse if the request is not reasonable or your refusal is reasonable. The base rate of pay leaves out loadings, allowances, overtime and penalty rates, and a roster cannot be changed to avoid the payment. Read the Fair Work page on not working on public holidays and sections 114 to 116 of the Fair Work Act.
Public holiday rates when you work
Awards add penalty rates for work on a public holiday. In all three awards below the rate is 225% of the minimum hourly rate for full-time and part-time employees and 250% for casuals, which includes the casual loading. Each rate here is for ordinary hours, rounded to the cent as the award schedules are.
General Retail Award [MA000004]
Full-time and part-time 225%, casual 250%. See clauses 22 and 33 of the General Retail Industry Award 2020.
| Level | Base hourly | Full-time and part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Employee Level 1 | $27.81 | $62.57 | $69.53 |
| Retail Employee Level 2 | $28.45 | $64.01 | $71.13 |
| Retail Employee Level 3 | $28.89 | $65.00 | $72.23 |
| Retail Employee Level 4 | $29.45 | $66.26 | $73.63 |
| Retail Employee Level 5 | $30.66 | $68.99 | $76.65 |
| Retail Employee Level 6 | $31.11 | $70.00 | $77.78 |
| Retail Employee Level 7 | $32.67 | $73.51 | $81.68 |
| Retail Employee Level 8 | $33.99 | $76.48 | $84.98 |
Hospitality Award [MA000009]
Full-time and part-time 225%, casual 250%. See clauses 29 and 35 of the Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020. A full-time or part-time employee who works a public holiday is paid for at least 4 hours and a casual for at least 2 hours.
| Level | Base hourly | Full-time and part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Introductory level | $25.74 | $57.92 | $64.35 |
| Level 1 | $26.44 | $59.49 | $66.10 |
| Level 2 | $27.08 | $60.93 | $67.70 |
| Level 3 | $27.97 | $62.93 | $69.93 |
| Level 4 | $29.45 | $66.26 | $73.63 |
| Level 5 | $31.30 | $70.43 | $78.25 |
| Level 6 | $32.13 | $72.29 | $80.33 |
Fast Food Award [MA000003]
Full-time and part-time 225%, casual 250%. See clauses 21 and 27 of the Fast Food Industry Award 2020.
| Level | Base hourly | Full-time and part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fast food employee level 1 | $27.81 | $62.57 | $69.53 |
| Fast food employee level 2 | $29.45 | $66.26 | $73.63 |
| Fast food employee level 3 (in charge of one or no person) | $29.91 | $67.30 | $74.78 |
| Fast food employee level 3 (in charge of 2 or more people) | $30.27 | $68.11 | $75.68 |
The retail and hospitality awards also let an employer and a full-time or part-time employee agree to a different arrangement for a public holiday worked, paying a lower rate with paid time off for the hours worked. Check the clauses above before you agree to one. Other minimum shift lengths and shiftwork rates sit elsewhere in each award.
Full tables by level are on the retail and hospitality pay rate pages. For other awards, use the penalty rates calculator.
When are the public holidays?
Dates differ by state and territory, and some are part-day or regional. Use Fair Work's 2026 public holidays and 2027 public holidays lists, or your state or territory government:
- Australian Capital Territory
- New South Wales
- Northern Territory
- Queensland
- South Australia
- Tasmania
- Victoria
- Western Australia
You are entitled to the public holidays where you are based for work, not where you happen to be working on the day.
Public holiday pay questions
How much is public holiday pay in Australia?
It depends on your award or agreement. Under the retail, hospitality and fast food awards, full-time and part-time employees get 225% of their minimum hourly rate and casuals get 250%, with the casual loading already included. At Retail Employee Level 1 that is $62.57 an hour, or $69.53 for a casual.
Do I get paid for a public holiday if I do not work?
A full-time or part-time employee who normally works on that day of the week is paid their base rate for the ordinary hours they would have worked. If you do not normally work that day, you are not paid for it. A casual who is not rostered on is not paid.
Can my employer make me work on a public holiday?
An employer can ask, but only if the request is reasonable. You can refuse if the request is not reasonable or your refusal is reasonable. The Act lists what to weigh, including your family responsibilities, the notice given and whether you are paid penalty rates for the day.
Is casual public holiday pay higher than full-time?
Yes, in these three awards. The casual rate is 250% against 225% because it includes the casual loading. Do not add the loading on top of the 250%.
Does base rate include penalty rates and loadings?
No. For a public holiday you do not work, the NES base rate of pay leaves out incentive-based payments, bonuses, loadings, monetary allowances, overtime and penalty rates.
What if a public holiday falls on a weekend?
Your state or territory decides which days are public holidays, and some declare a substitute or additional day when one falls on a weekend. Check your state list below. Under the retail and fast food awards, an employer and employee can also agree to substitute another day, and the public holiday rate then applies to the substitute day.
Does this apply to my job?
The penalty rates on this page apply only if one of these awards covers you. An enterprise agreement or a different award may set different rates. The Fair Work Ombudsman's Pay and Conditions Tool can help you check. Your award's page under public holiday penalty rates lists the rules for your industry.
Tax Accuracy & Sources
Reviewed: 6 November 2026 · Tax year: 2026-27
Shows the National Employment Standards payment and the public holiday rates in three awards. It does not tell you your classification or whether an award covers you, and it leaves out overtime, shift loadings and allowances. This is general information, not advice about your job.
- Fair Work: Not working on public holidays
- Fair Work: Public holiday penalty rates
- Federal Register of Legislation: Fair Work Act 2009 ss 114-116
- Fair Work Commission: General Retail Industry Award 2020 [MA000004]
- Fair Work Commission: Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 [MA000009]
- Fair Work Commission: Fast Food Industry Award 2020 [MA000003]