The use of the term “double time and a half” in connection with work performed on a public holiday means that an employee receives the ordinary rate of pay for the day and, in addition, time and a half for all time worked on the holiday.

That is, the employee receives a total of double time and a half for time worked on a public holiday – NOT double time and a half in addition to their ordinary pay for the holiday.

 

Do you get double time and a half on public holidays?

For example, let’s consider a full-time employee covered by the Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award 2020. The employee is called in to work for 4 hours on a public holiday to deal with an emergency. They would receive 7.6 hours' pay at ordinary rates for the day, plus 4 hours at time-and-a-half.

This, in effect, is the same as double time and a half rate for the four hours worked plus 3.6 hours pay at ordinary rates, being the balance of one full day’s normal hours, which the employee was not required to work, but for which he or she is entitled to be paid.

Let’s say:

Employee’s base rate of pay: $760 per week

Hourly rate for ordinary time: $20 per hour

Ordinary hours for the day are 7.6: $152

The rate for the holiday – additional time and a half: $20 x 1.5 = $30 per hour

Total: $152 + (4 x $30 = $120) = $272 for the day.

Most modern awards provide for a minimum payment when an employee is required to work on a public holiday. For example, the manufacturing award prescribes a minimum payment of three hours of work at double time and a half. A casual employee would receive an additional 25% based on the ordinary hourly rate.

 

Base rate of pay

An employee is entitled to be paid at their base rate of pay when a holiday falls on a day the employee normally works. Under the Fair Work Act (s12), ‘base rate of pay’ means the rate of pay payable to an employee for their ordinary hours of work, but NOT including the following:

  • incentive-based payments and bonuses

  • monetary allowances

  • overtime or public holiday penalty rates, and

  • any other separately identifiable amounts.

The base rate of pay under the National Employment Standards applies to all national system employees unless a more beneficial entitlement is prescribed by the applicable modern award, enterprise agreement, or individual contract of employment.