Mother's Day 2026 Penalty Rates: What You Earn Working Sunday 10 May

Mother's Day 2026 falls on Sunday 10 May. It is not a public holiday in any Australian state or territory. That means workers who roster on for Mother's Day trading get the standard Sunday penalty rate from their award, not the higher public holiday rate.

For most retail, hospitality, and care-sector workers, the Sunday rate sits in the 1.5×–2.0× range of the ordinary base rate. Casuals get their casual loading on top in some awards (compounded) and built into the multiplier in others (already loaded). Knowing which version your award uses is the difference between getting paid right and getting paid roughly right.

Authoritative source: Fair Work Ombudsman — Penalty rates and allowances.

Some workers assume any "named" day attracts public-holiday rates. It doesn't. Public holidays are gazetted in state legislation and listed on the relevant state government website. The 2026 list of public holidays in your state is fixed. Mother's Day appears on none of them.

What this means in practice:

• You're entitled to your normal Sunday penalty rate if Sunday penalty applies under your award.
• You're not entitled to public-holiday rates (typically 2.25×–2.5×) or to a paid day off in lieu.
• You're not entitled to refuse the shift on the grounds that it's a public holiday — because it isn't one. Refusal grounds are limited to the standard rights to refuse unreasonable additional hours under section 62 of the Fair Work Act and the right to refuse work on a public holiday under section 114.
• If your enterprise agreement or contract specifies higher Mother's Day rates, those apply. Read your agreement before assuming.

For the parents of small children whose retail or hospo job has them rostered on Mother's Day, the realistic question is: what does Sunday penalty give me? The answer depends on which award covers your job.

Below are the headline Sunday rates for the awards most exposed to Mother's Day trading. All multipliers are applied to the relevant award classification's ordinary base rate.

Hospitality (HIGA — Hospitality Industry General Award MA000009):

• Permanent full-time / part-time Sunday rate: 1.5× the ordinary base hourly rate.
• Casual Sunday rate: 1.75× (25% casual loading is incorporated, not added on top).

Restaurant (RIA — Restaurant Industry Award MA000119):

• Permanent Sunday rate: 1.5×.
• Casual Sunday rate: 1.75× (loading incorporated).

General Retail Industry Award (MA000004):

• Permanent Sunday rate: 1.5×.
• Casual Sunday rate: 1.75× (the 25% casual loading is paid in addition to the 50% Sunday penalty in this award — confirm against the latest pay guide if your roster places you on Sunday outside ordinary spread).

Aged Care Award (MA000018):

• Permanent Sunday rate: 1.75×.
• Casual Sunday rate: 1.75× plus the 25% casual loading where applicable — total ~2.0× depending on classification.

Nurses Award (MA000034):

• Permanent Sunday rate: 1.75×.
• Casual Sunday rate: 1.75× plus 25% casual loading — total 2.0×.

Pharmacy Industry Award (MA000012):

• Permanent Sunday rate: 1.5×.
• Casual Sunday rate: 1.75× (loading incorporated).

If your award isn't listed, the Fair Work Ombudsman's Pay and Conditions Tool covers all 121 modern awards. The principles are the same: Sunday is a "loaded" day, public holidays are loaded higher, Mother's Day is a Sunday only.

Example 1 — Tess, casual barista on the Restaurant Industry Award, Level 2 ($26.05/hr base):

• 5-hour Sunday brunch shift, 8am to 1pm.
• Sunday casual rate: $26.05 × 1.75 = $45.59/hr.
• Total earnings for the shift: $227.95.

Example 2 — Marcus, permanent retail assistant on General Retail Industry Award Level 2 ($26.55/hr base):

• 7-hour Sunday shift at a department store, 9am to 4pm.
• Sunday rate: $26.55 × 1.5 = $39.83/hr.
• Total earnings for the shift: $278.78.

Example 3 — Imogen, casual personal care worker on the Aged Care Award Level 3 ($28.00/hr base):

• 8-hour Sunday shift at a residential aged care facility.
• Permanent Sunday rate: 1.75×. Casual loading: +25%. Combined: 2.0× of base = $56.00/hr.
• Total earnings for the shift: $448.00.

Example 4 — Daniel, permanent registered nurse on the Nurses Award RN Level 1 ($38.30/hr base):

• 10-hour Sunday day shift in a private hospital.
• Sunday rate: $38.30 × 1.75 = $67.03/hr.
• Total earnings for the shift: $670.30.

Junior rates apply if you're under 21 and your award has a junior schedule. The multiplier is applied to the junior rate, not the adult rate.

The most common payroll mistakes around Sunday trading days:

1. Paid as a regular Sunday but the wrong base rate was used. If you were promoted, hit a junior age threshold, or moved up an award classification, your base might have changed without payroll updating it.
2. Paid the Saturday rate by accident. Some payroll systems default to "weekend" instead of "Sunday" when configuration is off — Saturday is typically 1.25×, Sunday is 1.5× in retail/hospo. The two rates being mixed up costs money.
3. Casual loading missed on top of the Sunday rate. In awards where the loading is added (not incorporated), the multiplier should reflect 1.75× rather than 1.5×.
4. Penalty for late starts/finish missed. If your Sunday shift finishes after 6pm (retail) or 7pm (hospo varies), there may be additional evening loadings stacked on top of the Sunday rate. Check your award.
5. Public-holiday rate paid in error. Some employers may pay 2.25× thinking Mother's Day attracts holiday rates. That's not legally required, but if your contract or EBA promises it, the higher rate sticks. The opposite case — being shorted because payroll expected a higher rate to be paid — is the one to watch.

Compare your payslip line for the 10 May 2026 shift against the multiplier above. If it doesn't match, your first move is to email payroll citing the relevant award clause. If they don't fix it, you can lodge a complaint with the Fair Work Ombudsman.

Is Mother's Day a public holiday in any state?
No. None of the eight states or territories list Mother's Day as a gazetted public holiday in 2026.

Do I get paid more if I work Mother's Day?
You get whatever your award's Sunday penalty rate is — typically 1.5× to 1.75× of base depending on the award and your employment status. You do not get public-holiday rates.

Can I refuse to work Mother's Day?
The standard right to refuse unreasonable additional hours under section 62 of the Fair Work Act applies. The right to refuse work on a public holiday under section 114 does not apply, because Mother's Day is not a public holiday.

What about Father's Day?
Same answer — Father's Day (Sunday 6 September 2026) is also a regular Sunday, not a public holiday. Sunday penalty rates apply, public-holiday rates do not.

What if my contract says I get higher rates on Mother's Day?
A contract or enterprise agreement can pay more than the award. If yours promises a higher Mother's Day rate, that's enforceable.

What if I've been underpaid for previous Mother's Day shifts?
You can claim back-pay for up to six years from when the underpayment occurred. Check your old payslips against the rates in this article and your award's pay guide. The Fair Work Ombudsman provides a step-by-step guide for raising back-pay.