Can I Require Staff to Work on Good Friday in Australia?

Public holidays like Good Friday can be a big opportunity for some industries and a quiet period for others. Either way, they raise the same question for employers across Australia: can you roster staff to work and, if so, on what terms?

If you’re planning Easter trading, it’s important to understand how public holiday rules interact with employment contracts, awards or enterprise agreements, and state-based trading restrictions. Getting this right protects your team, reduces risk, and keeps your business compliant.

Below, we walk through what Good Friday means for your business, when you can ask employees to work, how to pay them, and the documents and processes to have in place before the long weekend.

What Does Good Friday Mean For Your Business?

Good Friday is a national public holiday in Australia. That means your obligations as an employer are shaped by two main layers:

• The National Employment Standards (NES), which give employees the right to be absent on a public holiday unless you make a reasonable request for them to work.
• Industrial instruments (the applicable modern award or enterprise agreement) and employment contracts, which set pay rates, allowances, minimum engagement periods and other conditions for public holiday work.

Most employees are covered by a modern award. Make sure you confirm which award applies to each role and how it deals with public holidays. If you’re unsure, it’s worth getting help with Modern Awards to confirm coverage and obligations.

If an employee isn’t covered by an award or enterprise agreement, their public holiday entitlements will come from their contract and the NES. Either way, you’ll want to check the rules before you set your roster.

Can You Require Employees To Work On Good Friday?

Short answer: you can request that an employee works on Good Friday, but they can refuse if the request isn’t reasonable or if their refusal is reasonable.

Reasonableness will look different from business to business. Here are the key factors employers typically consider:

• The nature of your business and whether you’re open on public holidays (e.g. hospitality and tourism often trade on public holidays).
• The role and seniority of the employee, and whether they’re essential to operations.
• The amount of notice you’ve provided and any personal circumstances the employee has flagged (e.g. religious observance, caring responsibilities).
• What the applicable award or agreement says about public holiday work, overtime and rostering.
• Whether your request is consistent with health and safety (no excessive hours, adequate breaks).

It also matters how you manage the process. If you communicate early, give staff a genuine opportunity to raise issues, and consider alternatives (like swapping shifts or offering time off in lieu), you’re more likely to land on a reasonable outcome.

To support lawful rostering, it helps to understand the maximum weekly hours framework and ensure you’re not pushing beyond safe or lawful limits, especially where you’re also trading across the weekend.

Paying, Rostering And Managing The Day

Once you’ve decided to open, the next step is working through entitlements for those who work and those who don’t.

Public Holiday Rates And Allowances

Most awards set out public holiday penalty rates (often higher than Sunday penalties). Some also include minimum engagement periods, split-shift rules, allowances, or rules about alternative paid days off if an employee works the public holiday.

Check the relevant instrument for each category of staff and factor the cost into your roster. If you need a refresher on how additional loadings work generally, our guide to Penalty Rates explains how these rates fit into award compliance.

Alternative Arrangements: TOIL Or Substitute Days

Depending on the award or agreement, you may be able to offer time off in lieu (TOIL) instead of paying the full penalty rate-provided the employee agrees and all TOIL rules are met (for example, how TOIL is accrued, used and paid out if unused). If TOIL is available, set it up clearly and in writing. Our overview of Time Off In Lieu outlines typical conditions and traps for employers.

Some instruments also allow you to substitute another day for the public holiday (by agreement). If you go down this route, document the substitution and make sure the employee receives the same entitlements they would have had on the public holiday.

Rostering And Notice

Rostering for a public holiday is not business-as-usual. Give as much notice as possible, apply your rostering rules consistently, and invite staff to raise any conflicts early. Good processes reduce disputes and help you evidence that your request to work was reasonable.

If you need a quick checklist, revisit the basics in our guide to the Legal Requirements For Employee Rostering, including consultation obligations and how to handle changes to rosters in a fair and transparent way.

Employees Who Don’t Work

Full-time and part-time employees who would normally work on that day are typically entitled to be absent and be paid their base rate for ordinary hours (public holiday not worked). Casuals are usually not paid unless they work the public holiday. Again, check the award or agreement for your team.

Hours, Fatigue And Breaks

Public holidays often come with higher customer demand and longer shifts. Keep an eye on safe workloads, maximum hours and rest periods before and after Good Friday, especially if you’re trading across the weekend. Make sure your roster complies with the maximum hours per week rules and that employees receive their required meal breaks during the shift.

Record-Keeping

Accurate records underpin compliance. Capture who worked, when, which rates applied, loadings paid, and any TOIL accruals. Good records make payroll smoother and help you respond quickly to any audit or query.

Trading Restrictions And Practical Considerations

Public holiday employment rules are only part of the picture. Good Friday also comes with state and territory trading restrictions and local rules that may affect whether you can open at all, for how long, or what you can sell. For example, some shops are restricted from trading (with exceptions for certain essential services), and liquor service rules can differ between jurisdictions.

Before you set the roster, confirm:

• Whether your type of business is permitted to open on Good Friday in your state or territory, and any conditions (e.g. limited hours, essential goods only, exemption categories).
• Any special liquor licensing or service requirements for the day, if you sell alcohol.
• Local council restrictions (noise, outdoor dining approvals, signage rules) that could apply on public holidays.

Consider the customer experience too. Anticipate demand and staffing levels, stock needs, and whether you’ll offer a limited menu or service. If you do adjust your offerings, update your signage and online channels so customers know what to expect. Clear communication reduces pressure on your team and keeps things moving smoothly on the day.

What Legal Documents And Policies Should You Have?

Having the right contracts and policies in place makes Good Friday planning far easier-because entitlements, availability, and processes are already clear.

• Employment Contract: Sets out the employment type, ordinary hours, overtime and public holiday clauses, award coverage, and how changes to rosters are managed. If you’re updating or hiring before Easter, ensure each role has a current, tailored Employment Contract.
• Workplace Policy: Clarifies rostering, availability and leave requests for public holidays, fatigue management, breaks, and escalation steps for disputes or refusals. A clear policy, aligned to your industrial instrument, reduces complaints and helps managers apply rules consistently. If you don’t have one, consider introducing a Workplace Policy before the holiday period.
• Award/Agreement Summaries: Create easy-to-read summaries of the key public holiday entitlements in the applicable award(s) or enterprise agreement, including penalty rates, minimum engagement, substitute days and TOIL rules. This isn’t a separate legal document-but having it on hand helps managers roster correctly.
• TOIL Agreement Form: If the award allows TOIL, use a simple written agreement each time it’s offered so the employee’s consent and the accrual are clearly recorded.
• Payroll Settings And Pay Codes: Make sure your payroll system has the correct public holiday pay codes and rates loaded (and that managers know which codes to use for each staff category).

If you’re scaling or reorganising your team for peak season, revisit award coverage for each role. Where there’s a risk of overlap or misclassification, it’s worth a quick review with an employment law specialist so you’re not caught out by a missed clause on public holiday rates or minimum engagements.

Key Takeaways

• Good Friday is a national public holiday-employees have the right to be absent unless you make a reasonable request for them to work, and they can refuse on reasonable grounds.
• Your obligations turn on the NES, the applicable award or enterprise agreement, and your employment contracts; confirm which instrument applies to each role before you roster.
• Public holiday penalty rates, minimum engagements, and allowances usually apply-build them into your roster and payroll settings, and consider TOIL or substitute days only where the award allows and the employee agrees.
• Plan ahead: give early notice, use fair rostering practices, and make sure maximum hours, fatigue and meal break rules are met throughout the long weekend.
• Check state trading restrictions and local rules for Good Friday-some businesses face limited trading or special conditions, which should inform your opening hours and staffing.
• Put the basics in writing: a tailored Employment Contract, a practical Workplace Policy, clear TOIL procedures, and a manager-friendly summary of public holiday entitlements will make Easter trading smoother.
• If you’re unsure about award coverage, penalty rates or rostering rules, align your plan with the maximum hours framework and revisit our guides to penalty rates, TOIL and rostering.

If you’d like a consultation on managing Good Friday staffing and public holiday compliance for your business, you can reach us at 1800 730 617 or team@sprintlaw.com.au for a free, no-obligations chat.