If one of the Christmas or New Year public holidays falls on a Sunday
and the employee does not normally work on a Sunday, then that public holiday will be observed on the following Tuesday for that employee. This can mean that the holidays fall on different days for employees who have different work patterns.
The Public Holidays are: - Christmas Day on Sunday 25th December 2011;
- Boxing Day on Monday 26th December 2011;
- New Year's Day on Sunday 1st January 2012;
- and the day after being Monday 2nd January 2012.
The Public Holidays are observed as follows: - Christmas Day, (Sunday 25th December) is observed on either Sunday 25th December (if the employee usually works on Sunday) or Tuesday 27th December (if the employee does not usually work on Sunday);
- Boxing Day, (Monday 26th December) on Monday 26th December
- New Year's Day, (Sunday 1st January) is observed on either Sunday 1st January (if the employee usually works on Sunday) or Tuesday 3rd January (if the employee does not usually work on Sunday);
- 2nd January (Monday 2nd January) on Monday 2nd January.
Public Holidays During ClosedownsThe Holidays Amendment Act 2010 clarifies entitlements to public holidays, that fall during a close-down period.
If a business has a closedown period that includes public holidays (as can happen over the Christmas and New Year period) then the employee is entitled to paid public holidays if they would be otherwise working days for them, as if the closedown was not in effect.
Just as if a public holiday falls during a period of annual holidays, the employee is entitled to a paid public holiday if it is otherwise a working day for them.