Can Your Boss Force You to Work Easter?

Short answer: no, they can't force you. Your employer can ask you to work on a public holiday, but you have the legal right to refuse — and that right is baked into federal law.

Under section 114 of the Fair Work Act 2009, an employer can request an employee to work on a public holiday, but the employee can refuse if the request is unreasonable — or if their refusal is reasonable. That's deliberately broad, and it's meant to protect you.

So how do you know if a request is "unreasonable"? The Fair Work Act lists factors the Commission will consider:

• The nature of the workplace — is it a business that normally operates on public holidays? (Think hospitals, not accounting firms.)
• Your personal circumstances — family commitments, religious observance, caring responsibilities, travel plans already booked
• How much notice you were given — being told on Wednesday afternoon that you're rostered for Good Friday isn't great
• Whether it's your usual working day — if you never work Fridays, it's harder for your boss to argue the request is reasonable
• Your role and responsibilities — essential services workers have less room to refuse, but even then it's not automatic

The key thing to understand: the burden isn't on you to prove your refusal is reasonable. It's a balancing test. If you've got genuine reasons — religious, family, or simply that you weren't rostered and don't want to — that's usually enough.

Don't let anyone tell you "it's in your contract so you have to." A contract can't override the National Employment Standards. Full stop.

This is where it gets messy, because Easter isn't the same across every state. Some days are public holidays everywhere, others depend on where you live. Here's the full breakdown for Easter 2026:

Day	Date	ACT	NSW	VIC	QLD	SA	WA	TAS	NT
Good Friday	3 April	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Easter Saturday	4 April	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Easter Sunday	5 April	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	No
Easter Monday	6 April	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Why does this matter? Because penalty rates only kick in on days that are actually public holidays in your state. If you're in Tasmania and you work Easter Saturday, that's just a normal Saturday — you'll get your usual Saturday rate, not public holiday rates.

The biggest trap is Easter Sunday. Only three states recognise it: ACT, NSW, and QLD. If you're in Melbourne or Perth and you work Easter Sunday, you're getting your normal Sunday rate unless your award or agreement says otherwise.

Check your state's public holiday schedule against your roster. If your employer is trying to pay you normal rates for a day that IS a public holiday in your state, that's underpayment — and you should raise it immediately. Use our public holiday rates calculator to check what you should actually be earning.

If you decide to work Easter — and plenty of people do, because the money is genuinely good — you're entitled to public holiday penalty rates under your award or enterprise agreement.

The exact rate depends on your employment type and your specific award, but here's the general picture:

• Full-time and part-time employees: typically 150% to 250% of your base rate, depending on the award. Most awards pay 250% for public holidays.
• Casual employees: typically 225% to 275% of the base rate (this includes your casual loading). Under the General Retail Industry Award, casuals get 250%.

Let's do the maths with the current national minimum wage of $24.10/hr:

• At 250%, that's $60.25 per hour
• An 8-hour shift on Good Friday = $482.00
• Work both Good Friday and Easter Monday? That's $964.00 for two days

If you're on a higher base rate, the numbers get even better. Someone on $30/hr at 250% earns $75/hr — that's $600 for a single 8-hour shift.

Important: some awards also give you a substitute day off or additional leave loading on top of penalty rates. Check your specific award. And if you're casual and working on a public holiday, your employer can't just pay you your normal casual rate and call it done — the public holiday penalty rate applies on top of your base (not on top of the casual loading).

Use our penalty rates calculator to get the exact figure for your award and employment type. Don't guess — check.

Let's be blunt: if your employer threatens to sack you, cut your hours, or punish you in any way for refusing to work a public holiday, they're breaking the law.

Under the general protections provisions of the Fair Work Act (Part 3-1), it's unlawful for an employer to take adverse action against an employee for exercising a workplace right. And refusing to work on a public holiday is a workplace right — it's explicitly protected under section 114.

Adverse action includes:

• Dismissing you
• Reducing your shifts or hours
• Demoting you
• Treating you differently from other employees
• Threatening any of the above

The penalties are serious. Under the current regime, an individual (like a manager) can cop fines of up to $19,800 per contravention. For a company, it's up to $99,000 per contravention. And if you're actually dismissed, you can bring a general protections claim — which has uncapped compensation, unlike unfair dismissal.

Here's what you should do if you're being threatened:

1. Document everything — save texts, emails, record dates and times of verbal conversations
2. Put your refusal in writing — email or text message, so there's a paper trail
3. Contact the Fair Work Ombudsman on 13 13 94 or visit fairwork.gov.au
4. If you've been sacked, you have 21 days to lodge a general protections application with the Fair Work Commission

Don't be intimidated. The law is firmly on your side here. And if your boss doesn't know the law, that's their problem — not yours.

Alright, let's get practical. If your boss has asked you to work over Easter and you want to say no, here's exactly what to do — step by step.

Step 1: Check if your day is actually a public holiday in your state.

Use the table above. Easter Saturday and Sunday aren't public holidays everywhere. If the day isn't a public holiday in your state, your normal rostering rules apply — you may not have public holiday refusal rights for that day.

Step 2: Check your award or enterprise agreement for public holiday clauses.

Some awards have specific provisions about public holiday work. Use our award finder to identify which award covers you, then check the public holiday clause. Some agreements require more notice, or have different arrangements.

Step 3: Respond in writing.

Send your employer an email or text message. Keep it polite and factual. Something like:

"Hi [Manager], thanks for letting me know about the roster for [Good Friday / Easter Monday]. I've considered your request and I'm unable to work on [date] due to [family commitments / prior plans / religious observance]. I understand this is my right under section 114 of the Fair Work Act. Happy to discuss if needed."

Step 4: Keep records of all communication.

Screenshot texts. Save emails. If your boss responds verbally, follow up with a written summary: "Just to confirm our conversation, you've acknowledged that I won't be working on..."

Step 5: If threatened or penalised, lodge a complaint.

Go to fairwork.gov.au and lodge an online enquiry, or call 13 13 94. If you've been dismissed, contact the Fair Work Commission within 21 days. You can also use our unfair dismissal checker to understand your options.

Everything you need for Easter 2026 in one spot.

Date	Day	Public Holiday?	Typical Penalty Rate
Friday 3 April	Good Friday	All states	225–275% (casual) / 150–250% (permanent)
Saturday 4 April	Easter Saturday	All except TAS, WA	225–275% (casual) / 150–250% (permanent)
Sunday 5 April	Easter Sunday	ACT, NSW, QLD only	225–275% (casual) / 150–250% (permanent)
Monday 6 April	Easter Monday	All states	225–275% (casual) / 150–250% (permanent)

Key numbers:

• National minimum wage: $24.10/hr
• Good Friday at 250%: $60.25/hr ($482.00 for 8 hours)
• Fair Work Ombudsman: 13 13 94
• General protections claim deadline: 21 days from dismissal
• Max penalty (employer): $99,000 per contravention

Useful tools:

• Penalty Rates Calculator — check your exact public holiday rate
• Public Holiday Rates Calculator — state-by-state holiday pay
• Pay Calculator — calculate your take-home after tax
• Award Finder — find which award covers your job
• Unfair Dismissal Checker — know your options if you're sacked

Know your rights. Keep records. And if you're working Easter — make sure you're getting every dollar you're owed.