The festive season is fast approaching and now is the time for employers in the WA state industrial relations system to get prepared by checking the pay rates employees must receive on public holidays and other public holiday employment obligations.
This season’s public holidays are:
- Christmas Day – Thursday 25 December 2025
- Boxing Day – Friday 26 December 2025
- New Year’s Day – Thursday 1 January 2026
New public holiday minimum conditions for employees in the WA state industrial relations system came into effect on 31 January 2025 to:
- provide employees with an entitlement to be absent from work on a public holiday and for an employee to be paid for their ordinary hours on that day;
- allow an employer to request an employee to work on a public holiday if reasonable; and
- allow an employee to refuse a request to work on a public holiday, if the request is not reasonable, or the refusal is reasonable.
Employers should ensure they understand these public holiday minimum conditions. To find out more, visit Public holiday pay and entitlements for state system employees.
Wageline will be closed from 4.30pm on Tuesday 23 December 2025 and will reopen on Monday 5 January 2026.
Print this page
