Public Holidays and Restricted Trading
As the end of the year approaches, so do a range of public holidays, annual leave requests and changes to trade. Read on below for details of the 2024 public holiday dates, restricted trading days and support on how to make sure you’re paying your staff correctly during this period.
Public Holidays
A complete list of the 2024 Public Holidays for Victoria can be found at the Business Victoria Website. The site also includes the 2025 dates to help you plan ahead.
Restricted Trading
Under Victorian law there are two-and-a-half restricted trading days each year:
Good Friday
Christmas Day
ANZAC Day between 12:01am and 1:00pm
On these days, only exempt shops are permitted to open.
Exemptions apply to shops such as chemists, petrol stations, restaurants and cafés. There are also exemptions dependent on the number of employees that you have.
Head to the Business Victoria Website to confirm whether your business can trade.
Paying your staff
So now you’re aware of which days are public holidays and whether you can trade. Now you need to ensure that you are paying your staff correctly for these days. The Fair Work Ombudsman has prepared a guide to rules and entitlements during the end of year holiday season, covering items such as shutdown periods, annual leave, employees required to work on public holidays and even employees who don’t work.