This year Boxing Day 26 December falls on a Saturday, and the substitute public holiday is Monday 28 December 2009.

Our awards were varied in 2005 to provide that whenever Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day fall on a weekend, staff who work the actual day will receive the public holiday penalty, as will staff who work on the substitute day. In order to avoid ‘double dipping’, staff who work on both the substitute day as well as the actual day will be paid at ordinary rates on the substitute day, and penalty rates on the actual day. The actual wording of the award variation is as follows:

Where Christmas Day and/or Boxing Day and/or New Year’s Day fall on a Saturday or a Sunday, an employee, other than a casual employee, who works on Christmas Day and/or Boxing Day and/or New Year’s Day shall be paid at the rate of time and one half for the time worked with a minimum of four hours wages. If such an employee also works on the substitute day or days, he or she shall be paid at the normal award rate for work on this day or these days.

In addition, an employee who works on Christmas Day and/or Boxing Day and/or New Year’s Day shall, for each day so worked, either be allowed a substitute holiday at a time convenient to the employer or receive an extra day’s wages at ordinary rates.

For members who work Monday to Friday, or who are not rostered on Boxing Day, Monday 28 December 2009 is the public holiday.