One of the things most employees do is study the calendar to find the next public holiday so they can request annual leave for some extra time off or enjoy a long weekend.
When it comes to public holidays, Victoria and the ACT lead the way with 13 each. For employers and business owners, there are certain obligations you must meet. These will depend on your business type and industry. And there are certain public holidays that will affect all Aussie businesses.
If you’re unsure of your public holiday obligations or employee wage rates, talk to a specialist adviser at Peninsula. Our advisers include specialists trained in Fair Work Victoria compliance, giving you accurate guidance on entitlements, penalty rates, and employer obligations
List of public holidays in Victoria for 2026.
| Holiday | Date in 2026 |
|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Thursday 1 January |
| Australia Day | Monday 26 January |
| Labour Day | Monday 9 March |
| Good Friday | Friday 3 April (ristricted trading day) |
| Easter Saturday | Saturday 4 April |
| Easter Sunday | Sunday 5 April |
| Easter Monday | Monday 6 April |
| ANZAC Day | Saturday 25 April |
| King’s Birthday | Monday 8 June |
| Friday before the AFL Grand Final | Subject to AFL Schedule |
| Melbourne Cup | Tuesday 4 November |
| Christmas Day | Friday 25 December |
| Boxing Day | Saturday 26 December |
- As Boxing Day falls on a Saturday, the following Monday, 28 December 2026, is an additional public holiday.
Employee entitlements on public holidays in Victoria
All employees are entitled to public holidays under the National Employment Standards (NES). Full-time and part-time employees who are absent from work because of a public holiday must receive their base rate of pay for the hours they would have otherwise worked. Employees aren’t owed incentive-based payments, bonuses, overtime, penalty rates, loadings or monetary allowances. Employees are only entitled to payment if the public holiday falls on a day that they normally work.
Casual employees only receive public holiday entitlements if they work on the public holiday.
Employing staff on public holidays in Victoria
If you employ staff on a public holiday, the employee may be entitled to:
- Penalty rates for each hour worked on that day.
- Time off in lieu.
- Equivalent time added to their annual leave for each hour worked on that day.
Modern awards, enterprise agreements, and other registered agreements can provide entitlements for working public holidays, including:
- Extra pay.
- An extra day off or extra annual leave.
- Minimum shift lengths on public holidays.
- Agreeing to substitute a public holiday for another day.
You can request staff to work on a public holiday if the request is reasonable. Whether the request is reasonable or not, will depend on the:
- Nature of your business.
- Employee’s personal circumstances, such as family responsibilities.
- Amount of notice you provide.
An employee can refuse the request to work if it isn’t reasonable, or if they have a reasonable reason to refuse.