CODE 2, VOL 37, NO 27 : 21 december 2023

CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR 2023/2024:
PUBLIC HOLIDAY ENTITLEMENTS

As always, the annual Christmas and New Year public holidays cause questions to be asked about time sheets and entitlements.

This year, the public holidays are –

Christmas Eve
Sunday 24 December 2023
1800 – 2400
Part-public holiday

Christmas Day
Monday 25 December 2023
Full 24-hour day public holiday

Boxing Day
Tuesday 26 December 2023
Full 24-hour day public holiday

New Year’s Day
Monday 1 January 2024
Full 24-hour public holiday

When completing your time sheets, please be aware that the public holiday provisions and arrangements relevant to your work situation and roster will apply for each of these days.  In accordance with the Queensland Fire and Emergency Service Employees Award – State 2016 (the Award), this means that if you are a continuous shift worker, on these dates you are entitled to the relevant public holiday penalty rates for any hours worked or an additional 8 hours’ pay (if rostered off duty, or on annual leave or long service leave).

For continuous shift workers, the Award also prescribes that:

1 - In the case of a part-day public holiday (such as Christmas Eve), the entitlement to an additional 8 hours' pay shall be proportionate to the number of hours out of the full day (24 hours) that has been gazetted as the public holiday.
For Christmas Eve, one quarter (6 hours) of the day is gazetted as a public holiday so the proportionate entitlement is an additional 2 hours’ pay. Therefore, if you are rostered off duty, or on annual leave or long service leave between the hours of 1800 and 2400 on 24 December 2023, you are entitled to claim an additional 2 hours’ pay.

2 - If you perform less than 8 hours of rostered work on a public holiday, you shall receive an additional payment equal to the difference between the number of hours worked on the public holiday and 8 hours, at the rate of single time.
For example, if you worked a night shift that fell on one of the dates listed above, you may have only worked 6 hours on that day (particularly if it was your first night shift that commenced on the relevant date). In this case, you would therefore be entitled to claim an additional 2 hours’ pay (at single time) as that is equal to the difference between the number of hours worked on the public holiday (6 hours) and 8 hours.

QSS got it wrong?

With so many public holidays across the period, there is the possibility that errors may be made by QFES and/or Queensland Shared Services (QSS) in regard to your wages for the relevant dates. If an error is made, in the first instance, please ensure you raise the issue with your regional HR contact as soon as possible.

If an issue remains unresolved, subsequent to contacting regional HR, please notify your local UFUQ representative for assistance. If seeking assistance, please ensure you provide your local UFUQ representative with the appropriate evidence for your claim, including the reasons provided to you by HR (preferably in writing) as to why your claim has not been accepted.

John Oliver - General Secretary