Anzac Day 2026 Falls on a Saturday: Your State-by-State Guide to Penalty Rates, Substitute Holidays and Getting Paid Correctly

Australia is one country, but when Anzac Day lands on a Saturday the rules splinter across state lines. This year, 25 April falls on a Saturday. If you work in New South Wales, the ACT or Western Australia, you will also get a substitute public holiday on Monday 27 April. If you work in Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania or the Northern Territory, you will not.

For the thousands of Australians who work across multiple states, or whose employer operates nationally, this creates a real risk of being paid incorrectly. This guide breaks down exactly what you are entitled to, state by state, award by award, and shows you how to check your payslip before the long weekend arrives.

Which States Get a Substitute Monday?

Here is the position for every state and territory for Anzac Day 2026.

State / Territory	Saturday 25 April	Monday 27 April
NSW	Public holiday	Additional public holiday
ACT	Public holiday	Additional public holiday
WA	Public holiday	Additional public holiday
QLD	Public holiday	Not a public holiday
VIC	Public holiday	Not a public holiday
SA	Public holiday	Not a public holiday
TAS	Public holiday	Not a public holiday
NT	Public holiday	Not a public holiday

The Saturday itself is a public holiday in every state and territory. The key difference is the Monday. In NSW, the ACT and WA, workers who do not ordinarily work on Saturday may still benefit from the additional Monday holiday. In all other jurisdictions, Saturday is the only public holiday and Monday 27 April is a normal working day.

Why this matters for multi-state employers: If your company has branches in both Sydney and Brisbane, a worker rostered on Monday 27 April in Sydney is entitled to public holiday penalty rates. The same shift in Brisbane attracts ordinary rates. Payroll systems that apply a blanket national rule will get one side wrong.

Penalty Rate Breakdown: What You Should Be Paid

Penalty rates for public holidays vary by award. Below are examples from four of the most common Modern Awards. These rates are expressed as a percentage of the ordinary hourly rate.

General Retail Industry Award 2020

Employment Type	Penalty Rate
Full-time / Part-time	225% of ordinary rate
Casual	250% of ordinary rate

Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020

Employment Type	Penalty Rate
Full-time / Part-time	250% of ordinary rate
Casual	275% of ordinary rate

Fast Food Industry Award 2020

Employment Type	Penalty Rate
Full-time / Part-time	250% of ordinary rate
Casual	275% of ordinary rate

Clerks - Private Sector Award 2020

Employment Type	Penalty Rate
Full-time / Part-time	250% of ordinary rate
Casual	275% of ordinary rate

In dollar terms: A permanent retail worker earning $27.00 per hour would receive $60.75 per hour on the public holiday (225%). A casual hospitality worker earning $29.50 base would receive $81.13 per hour (275%). These are significant sums and the difference between a correct payslip and an incorrect one can easily reach hundreds of dollars in a single shift.

Always check your specific award. If you are unsure which award covers you, the Fair Work Ombudsman’s Pay and Conditions Tool (referenced below) will identify it for you.

Permanent vs Casual: Key Differences

The distinction matters more than you might think.

If You Are a Permanent Employee (Full-Time or Part-Time)

If you work on the public holiday, you receive penalty rates as set out in your award (typically 200-250% of your ordinary rate).
If you do not work because the business is closed, you receive your ordinary pay for the hours you would normally have worked. You do not lose income.
If the public holiday falls on your regular day off, the substitute Monday provisions (where they apply) may give you an alternative day off or penalty rates if you are asked to work that Monday.

If You Are a Casual Employee

If you work on the public holiday, you receive your casual loading plus the public holiday penalty (typically 250-275% of ordinary rate, depending on award).
If you are not rostered, you receive nothing. There is no entitlement to be paid for public holidays you do not work as a casual.
Your employer cannot reduce your shifts specifically to avoid paying penalty rates. If your pattern of work changes suspiciously around public holidays, that may warrant further investigation.

Annual Leave and Public Holidays: The Rule You Need to Know

If you are on annual leave and a public holiday falls during that period, the public holiday does not count against your annual leave balance. This is one of the most commonly misunderstood rules in Australian employment law.

Example: You take the week of 20-24 April off as annual leave. Anzac Day falls on Saturday 25 April. If you are in NSW, ACT or WA, the substitute Monday 27 April is also a public holiday. If you had extended your leave to include that Monday, that day would not be deducted from your leave balance. You would be paid at your ordinary rate for the public holiday, and your leave balance remains untouched for that day.

If your payslip shows annual leave deducted for a public holiday, that is an error in your favour to raise with your employer.

How to Check Your Pay: 5 Steps

Follow these steps before and after the Anzac Day weekend to make sure you have been paid correctly.

Identify your award. Visit the Fair Work Ombudsman Pay and Conditions Tool and enter your occupation. The tool will identify which Modern Award applies to you.
Look up the public holiday penalty rate. In the same tool, select “Public holidays” and check the percentage that applies to your employment type (full-time, part-time or casual).
Calculate your expected pay. Multiply your ordinary hourly rate by the penalty percentage. For example, $28.00 x 250% = $70.00 per hour.
Check your payslip. Compare the hourly rate shown on your payslip for 25 April (and 27 April if you are in NSW, ACT or WA) against your calculated rate. Verify the hours are correct too.
Check your annual leave balance. If you were on leave during the period, confirm no annual leave was deducted for the public holiday itself.

Pro Tip: Take a screenshot of your roster and your payslip. If there is a discrepancy, having both documents makes the conversation with your employer much simpler.

What to Do If You Were Not Paid Correctly

If your payslip does not match what you are entitled to, you have clear options.

Raise it with your employer first. Most underpayments are genuine payroll errors, not deliberate. A calm, factual conversation with your payroll team or manager, supported by your calculations, resolves the majority of issues.
Contact the Fair Work Ombudsman. If your employer does not resolve the issue, you can lodge a complaint with the FWO at fairwork.gov.au. The FWO can investigate and recover underpayments on your behalf. There is no cost to you.
Understand the legal landscape. Since 1 January 2025, deliberate underpayment of wages (including penalty rates) is a criminal offence under federal law. Employers who intentionally short-change workers face serious consequences. This law exists to protect you.
Keep records. Save your payslips, rosters, employment contract and any correspondence about your pay. Under Australian law, you can claim underpayments going back up to six years.
Use Justiico to analyse your pay. If you want a fast, clear picture of whether your pay matches your award entitlements, Justiico provides automated wage analysis in minutes. It is not legal advice, but it gives you the numbers you need to have an informed conversation or take the next step.

Know What You Are Owed

Anzac Day is a day of remembrance and respect. It should not also be a day you are paid incorrectly. Whether you are working a dawn service coffee shift in Melbourne, a retail floor in Perth, or a hospitality gig in Sydney, you deserve to be paid what your award says you are owed.

The rules are clear. The tools to check are free. And if something does not add up, you have the right to speak up.

Start Your Free Audit