Penalty Rates Calculator
There's no single national public holiday rate — it's set award-by-award. Check your specific award.
Total pay
$576.00
Penalty hourly rate
$72.00
Extra vs normal pay
+$320.00
At 225% of a $32.00/hr base rate, working 8 hrs earns $576.00 in total — $320.00 more than the same hours at the normal rate.
Quick answer
There is no single national public holiday penalty rate in Australia — the rate is set award-by-award or by enterprise agreement, not directly by the Fair Work Act or National Employment Standards. A common example is 225% under the Retail Award, turning a $32/hr base rate into $72/hr — always check your own award to confirm the exact percentage.
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Browse Pay & ContractorHow it works
There is no single national public holiday penalty rate in Australia. The Fair Work Act and the National Employment Standards guarantee the public holiday itself — the day off, or a penalty rate if you work it — but the actual percentage is set award-by-award, or by an enterprise agreement, never by the NES directly. This is also true of Saturday and Sunday penalty rates, so an accurate public holiday pay calculator or overtime Saturday rate figure always depends on which award covers the job.
The formula this calculator uses is:
Penalty hourly rate = Base hourly rate × Penalty multiplier
Total pay = Penalty hourly rate × Hours worked
Extra vs normal pay = Total pay − (Base hourly rate × Hours worked)To make the public holiday rate calculator useful out of the box, it comes preloaded with three commonly quoted award multipliers: 225% for full-time and part-time employees under the General Retail Industry Award, 275% for casuals under the Hospitality Industry (General) Award, and 250% for full-time and part-time employees under the Building and Construction General On-site Award. These are real examples, not a universal default — you should always confirm the exact figure that applies to your classification using the Fair Work Ombudsman’s public holiday penalty rates page or your award’s pay guide before relying on the result, and use the custom option to enter any other award’s multiplier, including a Saturday or Sunday rate.
Worked example
Marcus is a part-time retail assistant in Perth, paid $28.00/hr under the General Retail Industry Award. He picks up a 6-hour shift on a public holiday, where his award sets the penalty rate at 225% of his base rate. His penalty hourly rate is $28.00 × 2.25 = $63.00/hr, so his total pay for the shift is $63.00 × 6 = $378.00 — $210.00 more than the $168.00 he’d earn for the same 6 hours at his normal rate.
His housemate Priya works the same public holiday as a casual at a nearby cafe on the Hospitality Award, also on $28.00/hr base and a 6-hour shift, but her award’s combined public holiday rate is 275%.
| Multiplier | Hourly rate | 6-hour pay | Extra vs normal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marcus (Retail Award) | 225% | $63.00 | $378.00 | $210.00 |
| Priya (Hospitality Award) | 275% | $77.00 | $462.00 | $294.00 |
Same base rate, same hours, but two different awards produce a $84.00 difference in total pay — exactly why there’s no shortcut around checking the specific award.
Frequently asked questions
Is there one national public holiday penalty rate in Australia?
No. There's no single national rate set by the Fair Work Act or the National Employment Standards — penalty rates are set award-by-award or by enterprise agreement. Check the Fair Work Ombudsman's public holiday penalty rates page (fairwork.gov.au) for the exact rate under your specific award.
What is the public holiday penalty rate for retail workers?
Under the General Retail Industry Award, full-time and part-time employees are typically paid 225% of their base rate on a public holiday, while casuals are often paid a higher rate again. Always confirm the current figure against your classification on the award's pay guide.
What is the public holiday penalty rate for hospitality workers?
Under the Hospitality Industry (General) Award, casual employees are typically paid 275% of their base rate on a public holiday, reflecting both the public holiday loading and the casual loading combined into one rate.
Do penalty rates apply on Saturdays and Sundays too?
Yes, many awards set separate weekend penalty rates on top of the base rate, often lower than public holiday rates — commonly around 125-150% on Saturdays and 150-200% on Sundays, depending on the award and employment type.
Are penalty rates paid on top of casual loading?
It depends on the award. Some awards, like Hospitality, build casual loading into a single combined public holiday percentage, while others apply casual loading and the public holiday penalty as separate additions to the base rate — check your award's pay guide to see which method applies.
Is superannuation paid on penalty rates?
Yes. Penalty rates for hours actually worked generally count as ordinary time earnings, so your employer's Superannuation Guarantee contribution is calculated on your total pay including penalty rates, not just your base rate.
How do I find the exact penalty rate for my award?
Use the Fair Work Ombudsman's Pay and Conditions Tool or your award's published pay guide, both linked from fairwork.gov.au, to look up the exact public holiday and weekend penalty percentages for your classification.
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Written and verified by Nirbhay Tripathi
Last updated 18 August 2026
All rates on this page are verified againstFair Work Ombudsman — Public holiday penalty rates, Fair Work Ombudsman — Minimum wages fact sheeton 18 August 2026. See our methodology for the full update calendar.