Holiday shutdown planning starts in early November, and the dates matter more than the paperwork. Christmas Day 2026 falls on a Friday and Boxing Day on a Saturday. Many states then add a public holiday on Monday 28 December. Confirm your leave directions, your pay rules and your suppliers' cut-off dates now, while there is still time to act.
Know which days are public holidays
Each state and territory sets its own public holidays. The Fair Work Ombudsman lists the 2026 dates by state. The ACT, New South Wales, the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia all show Christmas Day on Friday 25 December and Boxing Day on Saturday 26 December. Each also shows an additional public holiday on Monday 28 December. South Australia calls its Boxing Day date a Proclamation Day holiday.
Some places add more. The Northern Territory, Queensland and South Australia list Christmas Eve on Thursday 24 December as a part-day holiday that starts in the evening. The Northern Territory and South Australia also list New Year's Eve from 7 pm on Thursday 31 December. Check the list for the state where your staff are based. An employee is entitled to the holidays where they are based for work, not where they happen to be working that day.
Work out how staff will be paid
Employees have a right to be away from work on a public holiday. If you ask someone to work, the request must be reasonable. A person can refuse if they have reasonable grounds or if the request is unreasonable.
Under the National Employment Standards, employees other than casuals who normally work on the day a public holiday falls are paid their base rate for the ordinary hours they would have worked. Base rate leaves out bonuses, loadings, allowances, overtime and penalty rates. You cannot change a roster just to avoid this payment. A part-time employee who does not normally work that weekday is not paid for it.
If a holiday falls during paid leave, such as annual leave, the employee must be paid for the holiday. Your award or agreement may add rules, so read it before you finalise the roster.
Check whether you can direct staff to take leave
A shutdown is when a business closes for a time, such as between Christmas and New Year. You can only direct an employee to take annual leave during a shutdown if their award or enterprise agreement allows it. The rules differ by award, so look up the one that covers each role.
For staff with no award or agreement, you can require paid annual leave if the requirement is reasonable. The Ombudsman says this includes a temporary shutdown between Christmas and New Year. Tell people early and in writing, and give them time to plan.
A shutdown is not the same as a stand down. A stand down is when you cannot usefully employ staff for reasons outside your control, such as a natural disaster. Closing by choice for the holidays is a shutdown.
Employees do not need to take all their annual leave at once. There is no minimum or maximum amount that can be taken at one time, provided you and the employee agree. An employer can refuse a leave request only if the refusal is reasonable.
Confirm freight and posting cut-offs
Carriers publish their Christmas dates each year. Australia Post lists these 2026 last sending dates for metro locations. Parcel Post sent within the same state, such as Sydney to Sydney, should go by Tuesday 22 December. Between most eastern and southern metro areas the date is Monday 21 December. Parcels from NSW, the ACT, Victoria and Tasmania to Western Australia should go by Friday 18 December, and parcels from NSW, the ACT and Victoria to the Northern Territory by Wednesday 16 December.
Express Post metro parcels to or from NSW, the ACT, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania have a cut-off of Wednesday 23 December. Parcels to Western Australia share that date. Parcels to the Northern Territory, and those sent from Western Australia, have a cut-off of Tuesday 22 December. Counter lodgements must be in by 2.30 pm. Allow extra time outside metro areas.
Australia Post says items sent after these dates may not arrive until after Christmas. Ask your own couriers and freight forwarders for their dates too. They vary by carrier and service.
Put it all in one short plan
Write a one-page plan this week. List your closing and reopening dates, each public holiday that applies, and who is on call, if anyone. Add the leave rule from each award. Add your key suppliers' last order dates and the day they reopen.
Then tell customers. Post the dates on your website, in email footers and on your phone message. Send your last orders before the carrier cut-offs, and say when you will reply to messages. Staff, customers and suppliers should all see the same dates.
Finally, check the plan against the Fair Work pages above. Call the Fair Work Infoline on 13 13 94 if an award or pay question is unclear. This guide is general information, not advice on your situation.