Public Holidays Under Lockdown

03 April 2020

Payment for not working on a public holiday

Employees must be paid their relevant daily pay.  These holidays will be a little different for many people because they may be working only 80% of their usual hours, or receiving only 80% of their normal pay, or perhaps receiving only wage subsidy payment for the week.

The RDP payment will be what the employee would have got had they worked on the day in question, which is straight forward if they are working their normal hours.  But if they are working only 80% of their normal hours, their RDP will be 80% of their normal days’ pay; and if they’re receiving just the wage subsidy, they would get say $585.80/5 = $117.16 for the day.

In other words, the employee will get their lockdown pay for the week and you just have to enter the correct details in the leave record.

Payment for working on a public holiday

Employees must be paid the appropriate portion of their relevant daily pay, for the time worked, plus half that amount again.  They are also entitled to an alternative holiday.

Where the employee does not work a full day on the public holiday, some agreements may also provide for the balance of the hours not worked, to be paid.

The RDP payment will be what the employee would have got had they worked on the day in question. If the employee is only working 80% of their normal hours, or only receiving the wage subsidy, their RDP would be 80% of their normal pay or perhaps just the appropriate portion of the wage subsidy payment for the day.

In other words, the employee will get their lockdown pay for the week, plus half of the amount that is payable for working on the actual holiday.