Ask Paul: Easter, end of daylight savings, ANZAC day and your penalty rates and pay

6 January 2024

Paul Gilbert, ANMF (Vic Branch) Assistant Secretary

Good Friday and Easter are earlier this year – the end of March – with daylight saving ending on Sunday 7 April. Working on these days can affect your pay and penalty rates, usually for the better.

What are the dates?

Friday 29 March: Good Friday
Saturday 30 March: Easter Saturday
Sunday 31 March: Easter Sunday
Monday 1 April: Easter Monday
Sunday 7 April: Daylight Saving ends
Thursday 25 April: Anzac Day

Public holidays

What are the penalty payments for working a public holiday?

The following applies for members working under the Nurses and Midwives (Victorian Public Sector) (Single Interest Employers) Enterprise Agreement 2020–2024. If you do not work in the public sector, then you should check your enterprise agreement for the specific clauses. You can check your agreement via members.anmfvic.asn.au.

All employees (aside from casuals) are to be paid:

200% for time worked on a public holiday that falls on a Monday–Friday
250% for time worked on a public holiday on a Saturday or Sunday

You can work this out by multiplying your hourly rate x2 for a weekday public holiday. And multiplying your hourly rate x2.5 for a weekend public holiday.

For casual employees the penalties are as follows:

250% for time worked on a public holiday Monday to Friday; or
312.5% for time worked on a public holiday on a Saturday or Sunday

The above weekend public holiday rates include the weekend shift penalty.

I work in public mental health and I’m rostered on night shift on Thursday 28 March and/or Monday 1 April. Is it different for me?

Yes. If you work night shift on Thursday 28 March, you must be paid public holiday rates for the entire shift.

If you work night shift on Monday 1 April, you will only be paid public holiday rates for the hours worked on the public holiday i.e. commencement of shift until midnight.

I’m a full-time worker. What happens if I’m on a day off on a public holiday?

You are entitled to the day off, with pay.

I’m a part-timer who works both weekdays and weekends, but I’m not working on a public holiday. What should I get paid?

If your unit is closed because of the public holiday, you are entitled to the day off, with pay.

If the public holiday falls on your day off, you are entitled to the pro-rata payment equivalent of a full-time employee.

This is calculated by determining what fraction of 38 hours you usually work (let’s say 0.8 EFT) and multiplying a day’s pay by 0.8. If you normally work an 8-hour shift, 0.8 of an 8-hour shift is 6.4 hours.

So you would receive 6.4 hours pay even though it was your day off.

If the public holiday falls on a weekend but I’m a part-timer who only works Monday–Friday, do I receive any penalties?

No, you will not receive penalties for the weekend public holiday, however if an additional or substitute day is declared on a weekday, then you will receive the public holiday rostered on/rostered off on that day.

What if I’m recalled to duty?

If you are recalled to duty, all payment for that recall is in addition to any ‘rostered off’ public holiday benefit.

Daylight saving

What happens when daylight saving ends?

Daylight saving ends on Sunday 7 April at 0300. The clocks will move backwards one hour to 0200 local standard time.

I’m working nightshift on Saturday 6 April. What does this mean for my pay?

You must be paid for the actual hours worked at your ordinary rate of pay. Example: for a standard 10-hour night shift, the employee actually works 11 hours. The employee is paid 11 hours at their ordinary time rate of pay (including any shift penalties or allowances ordinarily payable in respect of this shift). No overtime is paid for the additional hour worked.

What if I live near the border and work in NSW?

If you live near the border and work north of it, you should be aware that NSW employees are generally paid according to the start and finish times that appear on the clock instead of the hours actually worked. This means you may lose an hour of pay. Example: for a standard 10-hour night shift, the start and finish times that appear on the clock mean the employee works 11 hours but is only paid for 10 hours at their ordinary time rate of pay (including any shift penalties or allowances ordinarily payable in respect of this shift).