Published September 2022
The Prime Minister has confirmed that Australia will have a public holiday in memory of the late Queen Elizabeth II. The public holiday will coincide with a memorial service for the Queen, three days after the royal funeral in London.
The one-off National Public Holiday for 2022 will be on Thursday 22 September to allow people to pay their respects in honour of the life and service of Queen Elizabeth II.
The National Memorial Service will be broadcasted live across the nation at 11am in the Great Hall of Australian Parliament House in Canberra and will begin with one minute’s silence. The Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, encourages all Australian’s, wherever you may be, to take time to pause and reflect on Her Majesty’s extraordinary life of service.
With this sudden and unexpected announcement, there are a few things for employers to consider:
1. ROSTERS
Decide whether your business will be open or closed on this additional public holiday and consider any rostering implications. Be sure to discuss with all team members once a decision has been made.
2. PUBLIC HOLIDAY DATES & PAYMENTS
Generally, employees should be paid for the public holiday if it is a day they usually work (excluding casuals), or penalty rates usually apply if an employee works. Be sure to check the applicable Award or Agreement if you are unsure on what applies.
3. PAYROLL PROCESSING
If you usually process payroll on a Thursday, consider whether you need to make alternative arrangements (for example, processing on Wednesday). Be sure to communicate any changes with your team ahead of time.
4. IF FLAT/LOADED RATE EMPLOYEES WORK A PUBLIC HOLIDAY
You should ensure these employees remain better off when compared to the Award or Agreement that applies to them (taking in to account the penalty rates that would ordinarily apply on a public holiday).
These tips also apply to the public holiday coming up on Monday 3rd October 2022 (Queen’s Birthday, Qld).
Edwards HR will be closed on 22nd September to pay our respects, reopening on Friday 23rd September 2022.
For more guidance about this update, or to find out how Edwards HR can support your business, contract our team today on 07 3568 0866.
Feel free to share this update with others in your network.
