Is your business prepared for the Easter and ANZAC Day public holidays?

The Easter holiday period continues to be one of the busiest times for employee leave requests. Many workers seek to take advantage of the cluster of public holidays, and with international travel now fully back to pre-pandemic levels, employers may find themselves juggling increased requests for time off with the need to maintain adequate staffing levels.

It’s essential for salon owners and managers to plan ahead and understand the public holiday entitlements to ensure compliance and smooth operations.

Easter 2025 Public Holidays by State and Territory

State/ Territory	Good Friday	Easter Saturday	Easter Sunday	Easter Monday	ANZAC Day
ACT	Fri 18 Apr	Sat 19 Apr	Sun 20 Apr	Mon 21 Apr	Fri 25 Apr
NSW	Fri 18 Apr	Sat 19 Apr	Sun 20 Apr	Mon 21 Apr	Fri 25 Apr
NT	Fri 18 Apr	Sat 19 Apr		Mon 21 Apr	Fri 25 Apr
QLD	Fri 18 Apr	Sat 19 Apr	Sun 20 Apr	Mon 21 Apr	Fri 25 Apr
SA	Fri 18 Apr	Sat 19 Apr		Mon 21 Apr	Fri 25 Apr
TAS	Fri 18 Apr			Mon 21 Apr	Fri 25 Apr
VIC	Fri 18 Apr	Sat 19 Apr	Sun 20 Apr	Mon 21 Apr	Fri 25 Apr
WA	Fri 18 Apr		Sun 20 Apr	Mon 21 Apr	Fri 25 Apr

This year, with ANZAC Day falling just a few days after Easter Monday, there may be a surge in annual leave requests as employees look to extend their time off. This period also coincides with school holidays across most states and territories, making it a particularly popular time for family travel and short breaks. Planning early can help ensure appropriate staffing levels while accommodating employee entitlements.

Public Holiday Pay Entitlements

Employees are entitled to be paid for public holidays if the holiday falls on a day they would normally work. The payment must be at the employee’s base rate of pay, excluding:

• Bonuses or incentives

• Loadings

• Allowances

• Overtime or penalty rates

If the employee is a casual who is not rostered, or if the public holiday falls on a day they don’t usually work, they are not entitled to payment under the National Employment Standards (NES).

For those working on the day, the Hair and Beauty Industry Award 2020 requires payment at double time and a half.

Requests to Work on a Public Holiday

Employers can request an employee work on a public holiday if the request is reasonable. Similarly, employees can refuse if the refusal is reasonable. Factors to consider include:

• Nature of the work

• Employee’s personal or family circumstances

• Reasonable expectation to work

• Type of employment

• Entitlement to penalty rates

• Notice given by both employer and employee

• Other relevant factors

Unplanned Absence Before or After a Public Holiday

Employers may be concerned about staff calling in sick immediately before or after a public holiday. While it is not lawful to withhold payment for a public holiday in such cases, employers can require notification and evidence for personal/carer’s leave. Under the FW Act, employees must:

• Notify the employer as soon as practicable

• Provide evidence (e.g. medical certificate or statutory declaration) if requested

To manage expectations, employers should clearly communicate their leave policies, ideally within employment contracts or internal policies.

Public Holidays During Leave

If a public holiday falls during a period of annual leave or personal/carer’s leave, it must not be deducted from the employee’s leave balance. For example:

• If on annual leave, the public holiday is not counted as leave

• If unwell and on personal leave, the public holiday is paid as a public holiday, not personal leave

Further advice

For further advice on this topic or any workplace relations matter, HABA members can call the HABA Advice Line on 02 9221 9911.