Are you up to date with the Public Holiday Entitlements and Easter Public Holidays 2011?             

Public Holiday Entitlements

Full-time and part-time employees are entitled to have paid time off from work on public holidays.

If a business is closed on a public holiday, or if full-time or part-time employees take the day off, an employer must pay them at their base rate for the ordinary hours they would have otherwise worked. The base rate of pay doesn't include any incentive-based payments and bonuses, loadings, monetary allowances, overtime or penalty rates.

Employees who don’t normally work on the day which the public holiday falls, don't receive payment.

Under many awards and agreements, an employee who works on a public holiday will receive a penalty rate or loading for the hours they work, or they may be provided with time off instead of payment of penalty rates or equivalent time added to their annual leave.

Refer to your relevant award, agreement or contract of employment to see what additional entitlements may apply.

NOTE: Rosters can't be changed to avoid the payment of public holiday entitlements and penalties.

Requesting and Refusing to work Public Holidays

If the request is reasonable, an employer may ask their employees to work on a public holiday.

The employer must consider the factors listed below when asking an employee to work on a public holiday:

• The nature of your business (including its operational requirements)
• The nature of the work performed by your employees
• Your employees’ personal circumstances, including their family responsibilities
• Whether your employees could reasonably expect that you might request them to work on the public holiday (for example, your business is open each year on the same public holiday)
• Whether your employees are entitled to receive overtime payments, penalty rates or other compensation for work on the public holiday
• Your employees’ type of employment (for example, whether they are full-time, part-time, casual or a shift worker)
• The amount of notice you have given your employees in advance about working on the public holiday
• Any other relevant matter.

The employer cannot rely on one single factor, but needs to consider all of the relevant circumstances.

Easter Public Holiday 2011
     
ACT

Good Friday	Friday 22 April
Saturday after Good Friday	Saturday 23 April
Easter Monday	Monday 25 April
Anzac Day	Monday 25 April
Additional public holiday	Tuesday 26 April *

*An additional day declared by the Minister in ACT in recognition that Anzac Day and Easter Monday fall on the same day in 2011.

NSW 

Good Friday	Friday 22 April
Saturday after Good Friday	Saturday 23 April
Easter Sunday	Sunday 24 April
Anzac Day	Monday 25 April
Easter Monday	Tuesday 26 April *

* Substituted public holiday for Easter Monday.

N.T. 

Good Friday	Friday 22 April
Saturday after Good Friday	Saturday 23 April
Easter Monday	Monday 25 April
Anzac Day	Monday 25 April
Additional public holiday	Tuesday 26 April *

* Additional public holiday appointed by the NT Minister as both Easter Monday and Anzac Day fall on Monday 25 April 2011.

QLD 

Good Friday	Friday 22 April
Saturday after Good Friday	Saturday 23 April
Anzac Day	Monday 25 April
Easter Monday	Tuesday 26 April *

*The Queensland Government has appointed Tuesday 26 April 2011 as a substitute public holiday for Easter Monday.

SA

Good Friday	Friday 22 April
Saturday after Good Friday	Saturday 23 April
Easter Monday	Monday 25 April
Anzac Day	Monday 25 April
Easter Tuesday	Tuesday 26 April *

  * Additional day appointed due to Easter Monday and Anzac Day both falling on 25 April in 2011
Note: every Sunday in South Australia is a public holiday under the Holidays Act 1910 (SA).

TAS

Good Friday	Friday 22 April
Easter Monday	Monday 25 April
Anzac Day	Monday 25 April
Easter Tuesday	Tuesday 26 April *

 
* Easter Tuesday is a restricted public holiday currently observed by certain awards/agreements and the State Public Service.

VIC

Good Friday	Friday 22 April
Saturday after Good Friday	Saturday 23 April
Easter Monday	Monday 25 April
Anzac Day	Tuesday 26 April *

 
* Substituted public holiday for Monday 25 April 2011.

WA 

Good Friday	Friday 22 April
Easter Monday	Monday 25 April
Anzac Day	Monday 25 April *
Special Public Holiday	Tuesday 26 April *

* A special public holiday was proclaimed for Tuesday 26 April as both ANZAC Day and Easter Monday fall on Monday 25 April in 2011.

Sourced from: http://www.fairwork.gov.au

For more information please contact Key Business Advisors 1300 815 458