Queensland Public Holidays and Pay Rates

With the Christmas and New Year period fast approaching, Queensland employees and employers should be aware of the public holidays that apply during this time.

In Queensland, there are three and a half public holidays observed over the Christmas/New Year period.

Public Holidays – December 2025 to January 2026

The Queensland public holidays for the upcoming period are:

Employee Entitlements

Permanent Employees

All full-time and part-time employees are entitled to receive their ordinary pay for any public holiday that falls on their usual working day—even if they do not work on the day.

Employees Required to Work

If an employee works on any of the above public holidays (including the part-day Christmas Eve public holiday), they are entitled to:

• 250% (double time and a half) for all time worked,
• With a minimum payment of four (4) hours, regardless of the actual hours worked, in accordance with the Plumbing and Fire Sprinklers Award 2020.

If a public holiday falls on an employee’s ordinary working day and they do not work, the employee must still be paid their ordinary hours for the day.

On-Call Penalty Rates (Plumbing and Fire Sprinklers Award 2020)

Employees who are on call during this period are entitled to the following penalty rates:

On-Call Work Penalties

Key Reminders for Employers

• Review rosters early to ensure correct entitlements are applied.
• Remember that public holiday loading applies to part-day public holidays (Christmas Eve after 6 pm).
• Ensure payroll systems are set correctly for penalty rates and minimum engagement periods.
• Permanent employees not working on the public holiday still receive their ordinary pay.

For further information or assistance, please contact MPAQ’s Advisory Services team on 07 3273 0800.