Easter Holiday Information

What does this mean for your employees?
Both Good Friday and Easter Monday should be treated as any other Public Holidays. A quick guide to the minimum entitlements follows,

GOOD FRIDAY – 6th APRIL 2007

EASTER MONDAY – 9th APRIL 2007

Entitlement to paid public holidays
An employee must be given a paid holiday when a public holiday falls on a day that would otherwise be a working day for the employee. Payment must be not less than the employee's relevant daily pay.  A public holiday is unpaid when it falls on a day when the employee would not otherwise have worked and the employee does not work for the employer on that day.
Requirement to work on a public holiday
The employer may only require the employee to work on a public holiday if it falls on a day that would otherwise be a working day for the employee and if the employment agreement requires work on public holidays. In any other case the employee may agree to work but cannot be required to work.  An employee who works on any part of a public holiday which would otherwise be a working day for that employee is entitled to an alternative holiday.  
Payment for public holidays
An employee who, in accordance with the employment agreement, works on any part of a public holiday must be paid for time worked the relevant daily pay he or she would otherwise have received for that amount of time, plus half that rate again (T1.5). This means that rate and a half must be paid for any part of a shift that falls on a public holiday and an alternative day off also provided.
Easter Sunday
Easter Sunday is not a public holiday, so there is no requirement to pay time and half or give an alternative holiday if an employee works on this day.  Please be aware that there are some restrictions on retail organisations' opening hours on Easter Sunday - refer to the Shop Opening Hours article in this newsletter.