NSW Public Holidays 2026: Dates, Pay Rates & Rostering
Planning your workforce for 2026? Here is every New South Wales public holiday in 2026, when the long weekends fall, and what employers need to know about rostering employees and calculating public holiday pay correctly.
NSW Public Holidays 2026 – Full List
There are 13 statewide public holiday dates in New South Wales in 2026, including the additional public holiday for Anzac Day and the additional day for Boxing Day.
Here is the complete list:
| Public Holiday | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | 1 January 2026 | Thursday |
| Australia Day | 26 January 2026 | Monday |
| Good Friday | 3 April 2026 | Friday |
| Easter Saturday | 4 April 2026 | Saturday |
| Easter Sunday | 5 April 2026 | Sunday |
| Easter Monday | 6 April 2026 | Monday |
| Anzac Day | 25 April 2026 | Saturday |
| Additional Anzac Day Holiday | 27 April 2026 | Monday |
| King’s Birthday | 8 June 2026 | Monday |
| Labour Day | 5 October 2026 | Monday |
| Christmas Day | 25 December 2026 | Friday |
| Boxing Day | 26 December 2026 | Saturday |
| Additional Boxing Day Holiday | 28 December 2026 | Monday |
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Important: Anzac Day 2026 – Additional Public Holiday
Anzac Day falls on Saturday 25 April 2026. In 2026, NSW has an additional public holiday on Monday 27 April.
This means employers need to account for both dates when preparing employee rosters and calculating applicable public holiday penalty rates.
The additional Monday public holiday also applies in NSW in 2027.
A Note on the NSW Bank Holiday
NSW also observes a Bank Holiday on Monday 3 August 2026.
However, this is not a general public holiday. It primarily affects retail bank branches and certain financial institutions that are required to close under NSW legislation.
Most other businesses do not need to treat this date as a public holiday for employee penalty-rate purposes.
NSW 2026 Long Weekends
Knowing when public holidays fall helps businesses plan employee leave, manage staffing requirements and prepare for periods of increased customer demand.
Here are the main long weekends in NSW during 2026:
Australia Day: Saturday 24 January to Monday 26 January.
Easter: Friday 3 April to Monday 6 April – a four-day weekend.
Anzac Day: Saturday 25 April to Monday 27 April.
King’s Birthday: Saturday 6 June to Monday 8 June.
Labour Day: Saturday 3 October to Monday 5 October.
Christmas and Boxing Day: Friday 25 December to Monday 28 December.
For businesses operating in security, cleaning, hospitality and labour hire, these periods can require additional workforce planning to ensure sufficient employee coverage.
What Do You Pay Employees on a Public Holiday in NSW?
Public holiday penalty rates in Australia depend on the Modern Award or enterprise agreement covering the employee.
There is no single public holiday pay rate that applies to every Australian business.
As a general guide, many industry awards provide the following rates for employees working on public holidays:
| Employment Type | Common Public Holiday Rate |
|---|---|
| Full-time employees | 250% |
| Part-time employees | 250% in many awards |
| Casual employees | 275% in some common awards |
These percentages are examples, not universal rates. Some awards provide different rates depending on employment type, classification and working arrangements.
For example:
Security Services Industry Award: Generally 250% for full-time and part-time employees and 275% for casual employees.
Cleaning Services Award: 250% for full-time employees, 265% for adult part-time employees and 275% for casual employees.
Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services (SCHADS) Award: Generally 250% for permanent employees and 275% for casual employees working on public holidays, subject to the applicable provisions.
What If Employees Do Not Work on a Public Holiday?
Under the National Employment Standards (NES), eligible full-time and part-time employees who normally work on a day that falls on a public holiday are generally entitled to their base rate of pay for the ordinary hours they would have worked.
Casual employees generally do not receive this payment when they do not work on a public holiday.
Important: Always Check the Applicable Award
Penalty rates, minimum shift requirements and other entitlements can vary between awards and employment arrangements.
Before processing payroll, employers should confirm the correct rates and conditions using the Fair Work Ombudsman Pay and Conditions Tool.
Simplify Public Holiday Rostering with ClickTime
Managing employee rosters during public holidays can become complicated, particularly for businesses with multiple job sites, rotating shifts and employees working across different locations.
ClickTime helps businesses manage employee rostering, attendance, timesheets and workforce scheduling in one centralised platform.
With ClickTime, you can:
Plan employee rosters ahead of public holidays and long weekends.
Manage employee shift allocations across multiple job sites.
Monitor employee attendance and clock-in and clock-out times.
Manage timesheets and streamline payroll preparation.
Keep your workforce organised during busy periods.
Spend less time managing spreadsheets and manual administration, and more time managing your business.
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