2026 public holidays: how healthcare businesses should plan ahead

Why public holiday planning matters in healthcare

Public holidays play out very differently across the healthcare sector.

Emergency departments, urgent care clinics and residential aged care facilities continue operating as usual. Many general practices, allied health clinics and diagnostic providers choose to close or reduce hours. Increasingly, hybrid models sit somewhere in between, with limited face-to-face services alongside ongoing administrative or virtual care activity.

Regardless of operating status, public holidays create predictable disruption.

Payroll still runs. Leave balances shift. Claims and payments often slow. Patients need certainty about access. For leaders, the real challenge is rarely whether the doors are open or closed, but how well the business has planned for the impact.

National public holidays in 2026

The following public holidays apply nationally and should be factored into workforce, financial and service planning early.

January

• Australia Day: Monday 26 January

April

• Good Friday: Friday 3 April
• Easter Saturday: Saturday 4 April
• Easter Sunday: Sunday 5 April
• Easter Monday: Monday 6 April
• Anzac Day: Saturday 25 April (Observed Monday 27 April in the ACT and WA)

December

• Christmas Day: Friday 25 December
• Boxing Day: Saturday 26 December
• Boxing Day (observed): Monday 28 December

State and territory public holidays: the added complexity

In addition to national dates, each state and territory observes its own public holidays, including Labour Day on different dates, regional show days and major local events.

For healthcare businesses operating across multiple states, or employing clinicians and administrative staff across jurisdictions, these variations can quietly create challenges. A normal business day in one location may be a public holiday in another, affecting staffing levels, payroll obligations and availability.

Without clear visibility and coordination, this is where errors, frustration and underpayments most often occur.

Here is a breakdown of state-specific public holidays in 2026. 

Australian Capital Territory

• Monday 9 March: Canberra Day
• Monday 27 April: Anzac Day
• Monday 1 June: Reconciliation Day
• Monday 8 June: King’s Birthday
• Monday 5 October: Labour Day

New South Wales

• Monday 8 June: King’s Birthday
• Monday 5 October: Labour Day

Northern Territory

• Monday 4 May: May Day
• Monday 8 June: King’s Birthday
• Monday 3 August: Picnic Day
• Thursday 24 December: Christmas Eve (7pm – 12am)
• Thursday 31 December: New Year’s Eve (7pm – 12am)

Queensland

• Monday 4 May: Labour Day
• Wednesday 12 August: Royal Queensland Show (Brisbane area only)
• Monday 5 October: King’s Birthday
• Thursday 24 December: Christmas Eve (from 6pm – 12am)

South Australia

• Monday 9 March: Adelaide Cup Day
• Monday 8 June: King’s Birthday
• Monday 5 October: Labour Day
• Thursday 24 December: Christmas Eve (7pm – 12am)
• Saturday 26 December: Proclamation Day holiday
• Thursday 31 December: New Year’s Eve (7pm – 12am)

Tasmania

• Monday 9 February: Royal Hobart Regatta (only observed in select areas)
• Monday 9 March: Eight Hours Day
• Tuesday 7 April: Easter Tuesday (Public Service)
• Monday 8 June: King’s Birthday
• Thursday 22 October: Royal Hobart Show (only observed in select areas)
• Monday 2 November: Recreation Day (observed in select areas of the state that don’t observe Royal Hobart Regatta)

Victoria

• Monday 9 March: Labour Day
• Monday 8 June: King’s Birthday
• Friday before the AFL Grand Final (subject to schedule)
• Tuesday 3 November: Melbourne Cup

Western Australia

• Monday 2 March: Labour Day
• Monday 27 April: Additional public holiday for Anzac Day
• Monday 1 June: Western Australia Day
• Monday 28 September: King’s Birthday (date may differ based on region)

Source: Fair Work Ombudsman 

Key considerations for healthcare business leaders

1. Service availability and operating decisions

Public holidays should prompt an explicit decision about how services will operate.

Consider:

• Will the business remain fully open, operate reduced hours or close?
• Are certain services continuing, such as urgent clinical care, virtual consults or administrative functions, while others pause?
• What additional support is required before and after the holiday to manage patient demand?

Documenting these decisions early creates consistency and reduces last-minute pressure on teams.

2. Workforce planning and leave management

Public holidays intersect closely with leave entitlements and staff wellbeing.

Common pressure points include:

• Clustering of leave requests around long weekends
• Reduced staffing capacity on surrounding days
• Perceived unfairness if expectations are unclear or inconsistently applied

Clear policies, advance notice and transparent communication help balance operational needs with workforce sustainability.

3. Payroll, cash flow and billing impacts

Even where clinical activity slows or pauses, many costs do not.

Public holidays can affect:

• Penalty rates and substituted day entitlements
• Payroll and superannuation timing
• Medicare, private insurer and NDIS payment cycles

Modelling these impacts in advance helps avoid short-term cash flow stress and end-of-period surprises.

4. Patient communication and continuity of care

Patients value certainty, particularly when access may change.

Best practice includes:

• Publishing holiday hours well in advance
• Using consistent messaging across websites, SMS reminders and booking systems
• Clearly outlining alternative care pathways where appropriate

Strong communication protects trust, even when services are limited.

Understanding your obligations to employees

Public holiday obligations are governed by the Fair Work Act, modern awards and enterprise agreements. Requirements vary by role, award coverage and employment type, but there are a number of key points that you will need to consider: 

• Public holiday entitlements: Many full-time and part-time employees are entitled to be absent on a public holiday and paid their base rate if the holiday falls on a day they would ordinarily work.
• Directed annual leave and shutdown periods: If a business requires employees to take annual leave during a shutdown period, such as over Christmas, this generally requires at least 28 days’ written notice and must be reasonable under the applicable award or agreement.
• Casual and part-time arrangements: Entitlements depend on ordinary hours worked and award coverage. Assumptions are a common source of error.
• Award-specific rules: Healthcare awards vary significantly, particularly around penalty rates, substituted days and leave loading.

Public holidays are a frequent trigger for underpayment issues, so carefully reviewing employee entitlements.

Can leave ‘blackout’ periods be enforced?

During peak periods such as Easter or Christmas, healthcare businesses often face a surge in leave requests that can affect safe staffing and continuity of care.

Leave blackout periods can be lawful if they are reasonable and clearly justified. Under the Fair Work Act, employers may refuse annual leave requests where the refusal is reasonable, taking into account operational needs. In healthcare, patient safety and minimum staffing requirements are relevant factors.

However, blanket bans without explanation or advance notice carry risk.

Best practice includes early communication, linking restrictions to genuine operational need, applying policies consistently, checking award requirements, and retaining discretion for exceptional circumstances.

Public holidays 2026: an employer checklist

As you plan for the rest of 2026, ask yourself:

• Have we decided how services will operate on each public holiday?
• Have staff been informed early and clearly about expectations?
• Have any shutdown periods been communicated with sufficient notice?
• Do payroll systems correctly reflect award obligations?
• Have cash flow impacts been built into budgets?
• Are state-based holidays mapped across all locations and roles?
• Are patients clearly informed about access and alternatives?

The takeaway

Public holidays affect healthcare businesses in different ways, but they affect all of them.

Whether services continue, scale back or pause, the common denominator is the need for planning. Leaders who approach public holidays with intention protect staff relationships, patient trust and financial stability.

In a sector facing sustained workforce and cost pressures, planning for the predictable remains one of the most effective ways to stay in control.