Public holiday pay in Australia depends on whether you worked the day, whether you were rostered to work, and what your award or agreement says about holiday penalties. A calculator can quickly show the difference between ordinary pay, double time and higher public holiday multipliers.
Use the public holiday pay calculator when you already know the multiplier. This page explains what to check before you rely on the number.
The public holiday pay formula
For a worked public holiday, the simple estimate is base hourly rate multiplied by the public holiday multiplier multiplied by hours worked. A $32 hourly rate at 250 percent becomes $80 per hour. An eight hour shift would estimate at $640 before tax.
The calculation changes if you did not work the public holiday but would normally have been rostered. In that situation, many employees are entitled to be paid ordinary hours for the day, not a penalty rate.
Checks that matter
- Confirm the state or territory public holiday actually applies to the workplace.
- Check whether the worker is casual, part-time or full-time.
- Check minimum engagement rules for short public holiday shifts.
- Check whether overtime or Sunday rules also apply.
Public holiday pay mistakes often happen when a payroll system applies the ordinary Sunday or overtime rate instead of the public holiday rate. If the payslip has a separate public holiday line, compare the hourly rate shown there with the award.
Related calculators and guides
Common questions
Is public holiday pay always double time?
No. Many awards use 225 percent or 250 percent, while some agreements use different loaded rates.
Do casuals get public holiday penalty rates?
Often yes. The exact casual public holiday rate is set by the relevant award or agreement.
Do I get paid if I do not work the public holiday?
If the public holiday falls on a day you would normally work, permanent employees are often paid ordinary hours. Casual rules are different.
Worked example using this guide
Example: $30 base rate at 250 percent for an 8 hour public holiday shift. The estimate is $30 x 2.50 x 8 = $600 before tax. Use this as a gross-pay sense check, then compare it with the exact award, agreement or payroll rate that applies to the job.
If the shift includes more than one pay type, split it into separate lines before calculating. Ordinary hours, overtime, Sunday work and public holiday work can all use different multipliers. This is also why a payslip with a single blended hourly amount is harder to audit than a payslip that separates hours and rates.
For the fastest cross-check, open the overtime calculator, Sunday rates calculator, public holiday pay calculator or time and a half calculator in another tab and enter the same base rate and hours.