1. Public Holidays in NSW
Holidays for NSW are gazetted under the Public Holidays Act 2010 as state-wide or regional public holidays and apply to all businesses across NSW.
The standard public holidays across NSW include: New Year’s Day, Australia Day, Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday, Anzac Day, King’s Birthday, Labour Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
2. What is a local or regional public holiday?
In addition to standard public holidays that apply to the whole of NSW, there are also local public holidays that are declared in regional and rural NSW. They are additional holidays that commemorate a day of special significance to a local community in the area specified.
Note: A local public holiday is a declared public holiday for that area for work purposes and additional penalty payments may apply, refer to the applicable industrial instrument for details.
3. What is a Local Event Day?
In addition to standard public holidays that apply to the whole of NSW, there are also a small number of Local Event Days that can be for a whole day or part of a day.
Importantly, Local Event Days are not a declared public holiday for work purposes.
4. What is an Additional Day?
When New Year's Day, Christmas Day or Boxing Day fall on a Saturday or Sunday, an additional gazetted public holiday will be observed on the following available weekday.
5. Is Bank Holiday a declared public holiday?
No, only retail bank branches and certain financial institutions are required to remain closed on the first Monday in August unless otherwise exempt.
For more information refer to NSW Fair Trading: fairtrading.nsw.gov.au
6. When is Anzac Day public holiday observed?
The Anzac Day holiday is always recognised and observed on the 25 April every year, this includes when it falls on a weekend.
7. What about the Australia Day public holiday?
Where Australia Day falls on a weekend, there is no public holiday on that day and instead the following Monday is the public holiday.
8. Do I get extra pay to work on a public holiday?
In most cases an employee that works on a gazetted public holiday is entitled to extra payment. This is usually in the form of an additional penalty or loading.
Please refer to the relevant industrial laws and instruments including the specific Award or Agreement that covers your workplace for detailed information on public holiday entitlements.
For information on pay and conditions of employment contact: www.fwo.gov.au.
Note: If you work in the NSW Local Government industry, visit our Local Government Industry page or call us on 131 628 for help with public holidays.
9. Do employees get paid for a public holiday that they do not work?
In most cases an employee who is off work on a public holiday, and that day is their regular working day, the employee would still be entitled for payment for the absence on a public holiday.
Please refer to the relevant industrial laws and instruments including the specific Award or Agreement that covers your workplace for detailed information on public holiday entitlements.
For information on pay and conditions of employment contact: www.fwo.gov.au.
10. What if a public holiday occurs whilst I am on Long Service Leave?
If you are on Long Service Leave and a gazetted public holiday occurs, and this is a normal working day for the employee, an extra day must be added to the Long Service Leave period.
11. Where to get more information on NSW public holidays?
For gazetted public holiday information visit our Public Holidays page.
Pay and conditions of employment, please visit the Fair Work Ombudsman at: www.fwo.gov.au.
For any NSW business trading hours information on public holidays (also including specific Bank Holiday information) contact NSW Fair Trading at: https://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/.