Can I Work On Good Friday? Rights, Pay And Entitlements In Australia

Good Friday is one of the most significant public holidays on the Australian calendar. For many small businesses, it can also be one of the most confusing.

If you run a café, restaurant, retail store, medical practice, cleaning business, logistics operation, or any customer-facing service, you may be wondering whether you can work on Good Friday (and whether you can ask your staff to work). If you do open, what do you need to pay? And what happens if someone says “no” to a Good Friday shift?

The short version is: yes, people can work on Good Friday in Australia - but whether your business can require it, and what you must pay, depends on the employee’s role, the applicable award or enterprise agreement, and whether your request (and their refusal) is reasonable.

Below, we’ll walk you through the key rules in a practical way so you can roster confidently, pay correctly, and avoid disputes.

Is Good Friday A Public Holiday In Australia?

In every state and territory, Good Friday is generally a public holiday. That matters because public holidays come with special workplace rules about:

• whether an employee can be requested (or required) to work,
• whether an employee can refuse to work,
• penalty rates or other entitlements if they do work, and
• what employees are paid if the business is closed.

While the high-level concept is consistent nationally, the details can vary based on:

• the applicable modern award (e.g. hospitality, retail, health, cleaning, manufacturing),
• any enterprise agreement (EBA) covering your workplace,
• the employment contract and workplace policies, and
• the employee’s classification (full-time, part-time, casual) and usual roster pattern.

It’s also worth noting that some businesses operate across borders or have remote staff. The “public holiday” that applies is usually linked to the location where the employee works.

If you’re unsure which award applies, or whether your contracts align with it, it’s a good time to review your Employment Contract and overall employment documentation.

Can Employees Be Required To Work On Good Friday?

This is the core question behind “can I work on Good Friday” from an employer perspective: can you roster people on and expect them to attend?

Under the Fair Work Act, an employer may request an employee to work on a public holiday if the request is reasonable. An employee may refuse if the refusal is reasonable.

So, it’s not as simple as “employees can always say no” or “employers can always require it”. It’s a balancing exercise, and context matters.

What Makes A Request To Work On Good Friday “Reasonable”?

Common factors that can influence reasonableness include:

• your business type and operational needs (e.g. essential services, peak trading periods, booked appointments),
• the employee’s role and whether it is genuinely required to operate safely and effectively,
• how much notice you gave about the roster,
• the employee’s personal circumstances (e.g. caring responsibilities, religious observance, health issues),
• whether the employee would receive public holiday penalties or other benefits,
• how you have handled public holiday work in the past (consistency and fairness), and
• what your award/EBA says about public holiday rostering and refusals.

Practically, the earlier you communicate and the clearer you are about expectations, the easier it is to show your request was reasonable.

What Makes An Employee’s Refusal “Reasonable”?

Employees may have a reasonable basis to refuse a Good Friday shift depending on the same factors above. In real life, common reasons include:

• pre-existing family or caregiving commitments,
• religious observance,
• the shift being outside their agreed availability (especially for casuals),
• insufficient notice, or
• health and safety concerns (for example, fatigue where shifts are excessive).

If an employee refuses, a good first step is to have a calm, documented conversation about the reason and explore alternatives (such as swapping shifts or shortening the shift).

Does It Matter If The Employee Is Full-Time, Part-Time Or Casual?

Yes - especially for rostering expectations.

• Full-time and part-time employees are more likely to have set hours or a predictable roster pattern. If Good Friday falls on a day they would normally work, they may be entitled to be paid for that day (even if you close), subject to award/EBA rules.
• Casual employees are typically offered shifts rather than guaranteed them. Many casual employees can refuse shifts, particularly if they are not within their stated availability. However, casual public holiday penalty rates can still apply if they do work.

Where small businesses often get into trouble is assuming casual “availability” equals “obligation”. If you regularly roster a casual in a predictable pattern, be careful about relying on assumptions - and make sure your approach aligns with the applicable award (and any relevant contract or policy terms).

What Are The Pay Rules And Penalty Rates For Working On Good Friday?

If your staff work on Good Friday, the big compliance issue is usually pay.

Public holiday pay rules can be set by:

• a modern award,
• an enterprise agreement, and/or
• an employment contract (but contracts can’t undercut minimum award/EBA entitlements).

Because the exact penalty rate varies significantly by industry and classification level, the safest approach is to confirm the applicable award and check the public holiday clause. If you want a quick sense check when planning labour costs, a public holiday pay calculator can help you estimate the likely impact (but you should still verify the award rules for your specific staff).

Minimum Entitlements If An Employee Works On A Public Holiday

In many awards, employees who work on a public holiday receive:

• public holiday penalty rates (often a multiple of the base rate), and/or
• an alternative day off or “substitute day” arrangement (if permitted and properly agreed), and/or
• minimum engagement periods (particularly for casuals and part-time staff).

Some awards also include specific rules for:

• overtime thresholds that interact with public holiday work,
• higher rates for work performed beyond certain hours, and
• additional entitlements for shiftworkers.

What If Your Business Is Closed On Good Friday?

If you close and a permanent employee would ordinarily have worked that day, they may still be entitled to be paid for the public holiday at their base rate (again, subject to award/EBA and whether they meet eligibility requirements).

For casuals, it’s often different: they are usually paid only for hours worked, unless an award, enterprise agreement, or contract provides otherwise. It’s important not to rely on assumptions - particularly where a casual works a stable, regular pattern and there are award-specific rules you need to follow.

Do We Need To Pay Superannuation On Public Holiday Penalties?

Superannuation is generally calculated on “ordinary time earnings”, and whether particular public holiday payments count can depend on what the payment relates to under superannuation rules (for example, ordinary hours versus overtime-type amounts). This can get technical and may vary between workplaces and payroll setups.

This article isn’t tax, accounting, or payroll advice. If you’re unsure, check with your payroll provider and accountant (or get tailored advice) to confirm the correct super treatment for the payments you’re making.

Rostering, Shift Changes And Cancellations Around Public Holidays

Even when you understand the pay rules, Good Friday can cause practical headaches: customers book in late, trade can be unpredictable, and staffing availability changes.

This is where small businesses often run into disputes - not because they intended to do the wrong thing, but because processes weren’t clear.

Give Clear Notice Of Rosters (And Changes)

Many modern awards have specific rules about how much notice you must give for rosters and roster changes. If you change shifts late, you may trigger additional obligations (including penalties in some cases).

As a baseline, have a written process for:

• when rosters are published,
• how you communicate changes, and
• what happens if an employee can’t work the revised shift.

If you’re reviewing your process, it’s helpful to align it with minimum requirements around shift changes, because public holidays are often when last-minute edits happen.

Be Careful Cancelling Shifts (Especially For Casual Staff)

Sometimes you plan to open on Good Friday and then decide not to - or trade is too quiet to justify keeping everyone on.

Before you cancel shifts, check:

• any minimum engagement period (you may need to pay a minimum number of hours even if you send someone home early),
• any award rules about shift cancellation notice, and
• whether your employment documents or policies create additional expectations.

It’s also worth having a written shift cancellation policy so your team knows what to expect during peak or unpredictable periods like Easter.

Don’t Forget Break Entitlements

Public holiday shifts are often longer (because you want to “make it worth it” for staff) and more intense (because fewer staff are on). That’s when break compliance can slip.

Make sure you still follow award rules on meal breaks and rest breaks. If you need a refresher on the general principles, Fair Work breaks are a good place to start when reviewing your rostering practices.

Alternatives To Working: Annual Leave, Substituting Public Holidays And Shutdowns

Sometimes the best way to manage Good Friday isn’t “who can we roster?” but “what’s the cleanest operational plan?”

Depending on your industry and business model, you might prefer to close, operate with skeleton staff, or agree on alternative arrangements.

Can You Ask Staff To Take Annual Leave Around Good Friday?

You can’t simply force employees to take annual leave whenever you want, but there are situations where you can:

• request annual leave, and
• direct annual leave if the direction is lawful and reasonable (this often depends on award/EBA terms, and sometimes shutdown arrangements).

If you’re closing for a short period around Easter (for example, closing Good Friday and the weekend), be careful about how you handle leave requests and directions, including what happens to pay and entitlements.

Also ensure you understand what must be included in annual leave payments, particularly where loading applies. Many businesses review this when planning Easter payroll, and it’s helpful to confirm your approach to annual leave payments.

Can You Substitute A Public Holiday With Another Day?

Some awards and enterprise agreements allow for a substitute public holiday (sometimes called “substituted day” arrangements). This can be useful if:

• your business must remain open on Good Friday, but you want to offer staff a different paid day off, or
• you operate in an industry where public holiday trading is standard and substitute arrangements are common.

However, these arrangements are not “one size fits all”. You usually need to ensure:

• the substitution is permitted under the relevant award/EBA,
• you have a clear agreement (often in writing), and
• you apply it consistently and fairly.

If you’re considering substitute days, it’s smart to document the process in writing, either through a workplace policy or a clause in your employment contracts.

What If The Employee Is Rostered But Doesn’t Attend?

This depends on the reason and the circumstances. For example:

• If the employee is sick and provides appropriate evidence, they may be entitled to paid personal/carer’s leave (if permanent) and you should follow your usual process.
• If it’s an availability issue or they refuse due to reasonable grounds, you should handle it as a rostering/management issue rather than a disciplinary one.
• If there is no reasonable reason and your request was reasonable, you may need to manage performance carefully and consistently, ideally with advice first.

Because public holidays are a high-risk time for disputes, you’ll generally want to avoid snap decisions and instead rely on your written process, award rules, and documented communication.

Key Takeaways

• Yes, people can work on Good Friday in Australia, but public holiday rules affect whether you can require it and what you must pay.
• An employer can request an employee to work on a public holiday if the request is reasonable, and an employee can refuse if the refusal is reasonable.
• Penalty rates and entitlements vary depending on the applicable award or enterprise agreement, the employee’s classification, and the hours worked.
• Good Friday is a common time for compliance issues around rostering, shift changes, and shift cancellations, so having clear processes (and written policies) really helps.
• If you plan to close or reduce staff, consider lawful options like annual leave arrangements or permitted substitute public holiday arrangements, and document what you agree.
• Having up-to-date employment contracts and aligned workplace policies can reduce disputes and help you handle public holiday planning with confidence.

If you’d like help reviewing your Good Friday rostering approach, pay obligations, or employment documentation, reach out to Sprintlaw on 1800 730 617 or team@sprintlaw.com.au for a free, no-obligations chat.