Christmas Day 25 Dec, Boxing Day, NYE shifts, forced annual leave, no leave left — pick your situation, award and state to get clear rights and the right pay rates.
Last verified: 16 May 2026CHRISTMAS / NYE 2026-27 RIGHTS CHECKER
Christmas Day = Fri 25 Dec 2026, Boxing Day substitute = Mon 28 Dec 2026, NYD = Fri 1 Jan 2027. Pick your situation, award and state to see your rights.
Your employer can direct you to take annual leave in limited circumstances: business shutdowns and excessive leave balances. Know the rules, notice periods, and your rights.
Can My Boss Make Me Work on a Public Holiday? (Your Rights)Your boss wants you in on a public holiday. Do you have to go? Here's the deal on your right to refuse, the reasonable request test, penalty rates, and how casual and permanent workers are treated differently under Australian law.
Casual Workers & Public Holidays: Pay Rates, Refusal Rights & PenaltiesCasual employees working public holidays typically earn 2.75x their base rate. Learn about penalty rates by award, your right to refuse work, the reasonable request test, substitute days, and state-specific holidays in 2026.
Embed this calculator on your site — free
One line of HTML. Auto-updates with the latest Australian rates. Click to copy the code.
Copy & paste into any HR blog, payroll docs, intranet, or CMS.
<iframe
src="https://fairworkmate.com.au/embed/christmas-shutdown-checker?partner=YOUR_NAME"
width="100%"
height="700"
frameborder="0"
loading="lazy"
title="Christmas Shutdown + Public Holiday Pay Rights by FairWork Mate"
style="border:1px solid #e2e8f0;border-radius:8px;max-width:680px;"
></iframe>YOUR_NAME with your site identifier for attribution (optional).Get notified when rates change
Free alerts when minimum wage, award rates, or workplace laws are updated.
Free forever. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
General information and estimates only — not legal, financial or tax advice. Always check your specific award, agreement or contract, or a qualified professional, before you rely on the result.
Free tools surface the issue. Our partners help you solve it.
Authorised Employment Hero Partner
Australian HR, payroll, rostering and award interpretation in one platform. Used by 300,000+ businesses. Fixes the underlying payroll/compliance issues our calculators surface.
Best for: SMEs that have outgrown spreadsheet payroll or want automated award interpretation.
See Employment HeroHR support partner
Senior, hands-on HR support for your toughest workforce challenges — performance and conduct, grievances and mediation, redundancy and change. Liquid HR picks up where the technology ends.
Best for: employers and individuals who need a human HR professional to guide a workplace situation, not just a calculator.
Talk to Liquid HRIT, Microsoft & cyber partner
Microsoft 365, Copilot rollouts, Essential Eight, Privacy Act 2026 and board-level cyber compliance for Australian SMBs. Where pay and HR end, your data and IT obligations begin.
Best for: SMBs running on Microsoft 365, anyone hitting cyber/privacy compliance, boards wanting an outside read on IT risk.
See FrontrowRecommended partners — we only recommend partners we've vetted as a good fit for Australian workplaces. Some partnerships help fund the free tools on this site.