Easter Penalty Rates 2026: Exactly What You Should Be Paid This Long Weekend (By Award)

More than 2.6 million Australians covered by the national minimum wage will work at least one shift over the Easter long weekend. For most of them, those shifts attract penalty rates of 200% to 275% of the base hourly rate, depending on the Award, the day, and whether you are permanent or casual.

The Fair Work Ombudsman published updated Easter guidance on 31 March 2026 confirming the key dates and entitlements. Here is a complete breakdown of what you should be paid from Good Friday through Easter Monday, which days count as public holidays in your state, and how to check your payslip when it arrives.

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Which Days Are Public Holidays Over Easter 2026?

Not every Easter day is a public holiday in every state. The differences matter, because the penalty rate you receive on a given day depends on whether it is classified as a public holiday where you work.

Day	Date	Public Holiday?
Good Friday	Friday 3 April	All states and territories
Easter Saturday	Saturday 4 April	All states and territories EXCEPT WA and TAS
Easter Sunday	Sunday 5 April	ACT, NSW, and QLD only
Easter Monday	Monday 6 April	All states and territories

Key exceptions:

1. Western Australia and Tasmania: Easter Saturday is NOT a public holiday. You receive your normal Saturday penalty rate, not the public holiday rate.
2. Victoria, SA, WA, TAS, and NT: Easter Sunday is NOT a public holiday. You receive your normal Sunday penalty rate.
3. Tasmania: Easter Tuesday (7 April) is a public holiday for Tasmanian government employees and some private sector workers covered by state agreements.

If you are unsure, check the Fair Work Ombudsman’s 2026 public holiday list for your state at fairwork.gov.au.

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Easter Public Holiday Penalty Rates by Award

The table below shows the penalty rate percentage for hours worked on a public holiday under six of the most common Awards. These rates apply on Good Friday and Easter Monday in all states, and on Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday in states where those days are public holidays.

Award	Full-Time / Part-Time	Casual
General Retail Industry Award (MA000004)	225%	250%
Hospitality Industry (General) Award (MA000009)	225%	250%
Fast Food Industry Award (MA000003)	225%	250%
Nurses Award (MA000034)	200%	250%
Health Professionals and Support Services Award (MA000027)	250%	275%
Clerks, Private Sector Award (MA000002)	250%	275%

Sources: Fair Work Ombudsman pay guides, effective from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2025.

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What the Dollar Figures Look Like

Using the current base rates (effective from 1 July 2025), here is what a public holiday shift pays for adult Level 1 employees under the most common Awards.

General Retail Industry Award (Level 1, base rate $26.55/hr):

1. Full-time/part-time on a public holiday: $26.55 x 225% = $59.74/hr
2. Casual on a public holiday: $26.55 x 250% = $66.38/hr

Hospitality Award (Level 1, base rate $26.55/hr):

3. Full-time/part-time on a public holiday: $26.55 x 225% = $59.74/hr
4. Casual on a public holiday: $26.55 x 250% = $66.38/hr

Fast Food Award (Level 1, base rate $26.55/hr):

5. Full-time/part-time on a public holiday: $26.55 x 225% = $59.74/hr
6. Casual on a public holiday: $26.55 x 250% = $66.38/hr

Nurses Award (Registered Nurse Level 1.1, base rate $32.17/hr):

7. Full-time/part-time on a public holiday: $32.17 x 200% = $64.34/hr

If you are classified at a higher level or pay point, apply the same percentage to your base rate.

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Casual vs Part-Time: The Penalty Rate Calculation Trap

This is where payslip errors happen most often. Understanding the difference between a base rate and a loaded rate is critical.

Part-time employees receive the public holiday penalty rate calculated on their ordinary base hourly rate. A part-time retail worker earning $26.55/hr base receives $59.74/hr on a public holiday (225%).

Casual employees receive a higher penalty percentage (usually 250% instead of 225%), but this rate is calculated on the base rate, not the casual-loaded rate. The casual loading (25%) is already built into the public holiday casual rate.

Here is the mistake to watch for: some employers calculate the casual public holiday rate by applying 225% to the casual-loaded rate ($26.55 x 1.25 = $33.19, then x 225% = $74.68). That is incorrect. The correct calculation for a casual under the Retail Award is $26.55 x 250% = $66.38. The 250% already includes the casual loading component.

If your payslip shows a public holiday rate that looks unusually high or low compared to the figures above, the calculation method is the first thing to check.

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Minimum Shift Payments on Public Holidays

Even if your employer only needs you for a short shift, you are entitled to a minimum number of paid hours on a public holiday.

Award	Full-Time / Part-Time Minimum	Casual Minimum
General Retail Award	3 hours	3 hours
Hospitality Award	4 hours	2 hours
Fast Food Award	3 hours	3 hours
Nurses Award	4 hours (day shift)	2 hours
Health Professionals Award	3 hours	2 hours
Clerks Award	4 hours	3 hours

If you work a 2-hour shift on Good Friday under the Hospitality Award as a full-time employee, your employer must pay you for 4 hours at the public holiday rate ($59.74 x 4 = $238.96), not 2 hours.

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For Employers: Your Easter Obligations

If you employ staff who may work over Easter, these are your key obligations under the Fair Work Act and the National Employment Standards:

1. Pay the correct penalty rate for every hour worked on a public holiday, as specified in the applicable Modern Award or enterprise agreement
2. Pay full-time and part-time employees their base rate for the public holiday if they do not work and it falls on a day they would ordinarily work
3. Only request work on a public holiday if the request is reasonable, considering the nature of the workplace, the employee’s circumstances, and adequate notice
4. Accept a reasonable refusal from an employee who declines to work on a public holiday
5. Check your state’s public holiday calendar, because Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday rules vary by state
6. Apply minimum shift payments even if you only need staff for a short period
7. Keep accurate records, because payroll errors on public holidays are one of the most common findings in Fair Work Ombudsman audits

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Check Your Easter Payslip: A 5-Step Checklist

When your payslip arrives after the Easter long weekend, run through this checklist:

1. Identify which days were public holidays in your state. Good Friday and Easter Monday are universal. Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday depend on your location (see the table above).
2. Check the hourly rate shown for each public holiday shift. Compare it against the penalty rate table for your Award. A retail worker should see $59.74/hr (full-time/part-time) or $66.38/hr (casual) for Good Friday and Easter Monday.
3. Verify the calculation method for casual rates. The penalty should be applied to the base rate, not the casual-loaded rate.
4. Confirm minimum shift payments. If you worked a shift shorter than the minimum for your Award, you should still be paid for the minimum number of hours.
5. Check that non-public-holiday days use the correct standard penalty rate. Easter Saturday in WA and TAS, and Easter Sunday in VIC, SA, WA, TAS, and NT should show the normal Saturday or Sunday penalty rate, not the public holiday rate.

If something does not add up, raise it with your employer in writing first. If the issue is not resolved, contact the Fair Work Ombudsman on 13 13 94 or lodge an enquiry at fairwork.gov.au.

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Know Your Worth This Easter

Easter shifts can be among the highest-paid hours of the year. A single 8-hour Good Friday shift under the Retail Award pays a full-time worker $477.92 before tax. A casual under the same Award earns $531.04 for the same shift.

Those figures are yours by law. Make sure you receive them.

Start Your Free Audit to compare your Easter payslip against your Award rates in minutes.