MOP(S) Act employees are entitled to public holidays as set out in the Enterprise Agreement and leave and public holidays guideline (see related resources).
This includes public holidays at your work base and at locations when you are required to travel for work.
Ongoing and non-ongoing MOP(S) Act employees will be paid the hours that you would otherwise have worked on that day. Public holidays are additional to your other leave entitlements.
Annual close down/Christmas shut down
Annual close down occurs each year between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Close down is treated the same way as public holidays. Annual close down is additional to your leave entitlements and you do not need to submit a leave application for this time period.
Working or travelling on a public holiday
If reasonably requested to do so, MOP(S) Act employees may be required to work on public holidays or during the annual closedown. If you are required to do so, you are entitled to take paid time off equal to the hours worked. You do not need to submit a leave application. Discuss and agree the time to be taken off with your employing parliamentarian.
If you travel to Canberra for work on a public holiday you may be entitled to additional annual leave credit.
Public holidays
Public holidays are listed below. Other public holidays are individually declared by the respective state and territory governments.
National public holidays 2021
| Friday 1 January | New Year’s Day |
| Tuesday 26 January | Australia Day |
| Friday 2 April | Good Friday |
| Saturday 3 April | Easter Saturday |
| Monday 5 April | Easter Monday |
| Sunday 25 April | Anzac Day |
| Monday 26 April (as 25 April (ANZAC Day) falls on a Sunday in 2021, the following Monday is observed as a public holiday) | Anzac Day declared public holiday |
| Saturday 25 December | Christmas Day |
| Sunday 26 December | Boxing Day |
| Monday 27 December (as Christmas Day falls on a Saturday in 2021, 27 December is observed as a public holiday) | Christmas Day declared public holiday |
| Tuesday 28 December (as Boxing Day falls on a Sunday in 2021, 28 December is observed as a public holiday) | Boxing Day declared public holiday |
| Wednesday 29 December | Annual close down |
| Thursday 30 December | Annual close down |
| Friday 31 December | Annual close down |