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Christmas workplace planning doesn’t have to be complicated. But leaving everything until the last minute can create unnecessary headaches with employee leave, rostering, payroll, public holidays and end-of-year celebrations.
Whether your business is shutting down over Christmas, operating with a reduced team or running as normal, a little planning now can make the end of the year much easier.
What should employers plan before Christmas?
Before the festive season gets into full swing, take some time to check the basics.
1. Confirm your Christmas shutdown arrangements
If your business is closing over Christmas and New Year, confirm:
- When the business will close
- When employees are expected to finish work
- When the business will reopen
- Which employees, if any, will need to work during the shutdown
- How employees will be notified of the arrangements
If you are directing employees to take annual leave during a shutdown, don’t assume the same rules apply to everyone. The requirements can depend on the employee’s award, enterprise agreement or whether they are award and agreement free.
For employees covered by an award or enterprise agreement, check the relevant instrument before directing employees to take annual leave. Many awards contain specific shutdown provisions, including requirements around notice.
Our tip: Don’t leave shutdown arrangements until December. Check the applicable award or agreement and communicate the arrangements early (no, October is not too early!).
2. Get annual leave organised
Encourage employees to submit their Christmas and New Year leave requests early.
This gives you time to:
- Review leave balances
- Check who is away and when
- Identify any gaps in coverage
- Plan around key customers, projects or deadlines
- Finalise rosters
- Check whether any employees need to make alternative arrangements
If you’re planning to require employees to take annual leave during a shutdown, make sure you understand the rules that apply to your workforce first. An employer’s ability to direct annual leave during a shutdown can depend on the relevant award or agreement and whether the requirement is reasonable.
3. Check your Christmas and New Year public holidays
Public holidays can create some extra payroll and rostering considerations.
For example, in Queensland in 2026, Christmas Day falls on Friday 25 December, Boxing Day falls on Saturday 26 December and Monday 28 December is the additional public holiday for Boxing Day.
Make sure you check the public holidays that apply where your employees are based for work and consider how they affect your operations and payroll.
If employees are working on a public holiday, their award or enterprise agreement may provide additional entitlements such as penalty rates, minimum shift lengths or substitute days.
Before Christmas, check:
- Public holiday dates
- Employee rosters
- Payroll processing dates
- Public holiday rates or other applicable entitlements
- Whether any substitute public holiday arrangements apply
- Whether your payroll system needs any manual adjustments
Public holidays that fall during periods of annual leave can also affect how leave is processed, so it’s worth checking your payroll setup before the holiday period begins.
4. Review your Christmas rostering
If your business stays open over the holiday period, work out who actually needs to be there.
Consider:
- Minimum staffing requirements
- Customer and operational needs
- Employee availability
- Planned leave
- Critical roles that need coverage
- Emergency or on-call arrangements
- Any employees who may be working on public holidays
For businesses in industries such as transport, manufacturing, construction and other heavy industries, Christmas doesn’t always mean everything stops. Some businesses continue operating with reduced staffing, while others may have customers or projects that require coverage.
Plan your roster around the actual needs of the business rather than simply assuming everyone will be available.
5. Check your payroll deadlines
Christmas and New Year public holidays can affect normal payroll processing.
Before the office closes, confirm:
- Your final payroll processing date
- Timesheet and approval deadlines
- Leave approvals
- Pay dates
- Public holiday entries
- Who will handle payroll queries while the business is closed
- Whether your payroll provider has different processing deadlines over the holiday period
It is also worth checking that annual leave and public holidays are being processed correctly in your payroll system.
A few minutes checking your payroll calendar now can save a lot of back-and-forth in January.
Planning a workplace Christmas party
The end-of-year celebration is another part of Christmas planning that shouldn’t be overlooked.
Whether you’re organising a Christmas lunch, a few drinks after work or a larger event, think about:
- The type of event
- Budget
- Location
- Catering
- Dietary requirements
- Accessibility
- Alcohol
- Transport
- Expected behaviour
- Who is invited
- Whether partners or family members are included
Keep your Christmas celebration inclusive
Not everyone celebrates Christmas in the same way, so consider whether your event or messaging needs to be more inclusive.
This could mean:
- Using a broader end-of-year theme
- Providing non-alcoholic drink options
- Considering different dietary requirements
- Making sure the venue is accessible
- Being mindful of different cultural and religious perspectives
It’s also worth remembering that workplace expectations don’t necessarily disappear because an event is being held outside the office.
Clear expectations around appropriate behaviour can help everyone enjoy the event without creating an HR headache afterwards.
