# Anzac Day 2026 and a substitute Monday public holiday

*Benchmarking hypothetical, not legal advice. Facts as at FY2025–26.*

## Short answer

**No.** There is **not** an extra substitute public holiday on Monday 27 April 2026 for **all** employees across Australia. Anzac Day in 2026 is **Saturday 25 April**, and that Saturday is a public holiday in every state and territory. Whether anyone also gets **Monday 27 April** off is **not a national** rule—it applies **only in some** jurisdictions.

## Working (dates)

- Anzac Day is fixed on **25 April**. In 2026, 25 April is a **Saturday**.
- The Monday immediately after is **27 April 2026** (not 26 April, which is Sunday).

## Is the additional Monday uniform nationwide?

**No.** Public holidays (including substitute or “in lieu” days) are declared under **state and territory** laws and proclamations, not by one single national calendar that binds every employer in the same way.

For Anzac Day 2026 (Saturday), the pattern for the **extra Monday** is:

| Jurisdiction | Extra public holiday on Monday 27 April 2026? |
|--------------|-----------------------------------------------|
| New South Wales | **Yes** — substitute public holiday declared |
| Western Australia | **Yes** — substitute public holiday declared |
| Australian Capital Territory | **Yes** — substitute public holiday declared |
| Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Northern Territory | **No** — Anzac Day is observed as the public holiday on **Saturday 25 April** only (no additional Monday substitute for Anzac Day in those jurisdictions for this year) |

So the Monday is **not** a uniform entitlement everywhere. Payroll cannot assume “Australia-wide Monday off”; it must be checked **jurisdiction by jurisdiction**.

## What an employee’s answer turns on

Whether a particular employee gets the Monday as a paid public holiday (or alternative entitlement under their instrument) **depends on** factors such as:

1. **State or territory where they work** (primary driver for whether Monday 27 April is a declared public holiday at all).
2. **Applicable industrial instrument** — modern award, enterprise agreement, or contract — which may define public holiday entitlements, penalties, and substitute-day treatment.
3. **Whether they are ordinarily rostered or required to work** on that day (relevant to penalties, time in lieu, or whether the day “affects” them in practice).
4. **Employer policy and operational requirements** where the law and instrument allow flexibility (without overriding minimum legal entitlements).

An employee in **NSW, WA, or the ACT** may have Monday 27 April as a public holiday under local declaration (subject to their award/agreement and roster). An employee in **Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, or the Northern Territory** should not be told they automatically get that Monday solely because Anzac Day was on Saturday—**only in some** parts of the country does that extra Monday apply.

## Practical guidance for the payroll officer

- Treat **Saturday 25 April 2026** as the Anzac Day public holiday **nationally**.
- Treat **Monday 27 April 2026** as an **additional** public holiday **only** for locations in **NSW, Western Australia, and the ACT**, unless a specific instrument or employer arrangement says otherwise.
- Do **not** process or communicate a single “national substitute Monday” for every Australian employee.

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## Approach note

No `inputs/` files were present in the sandbox; the answer is drawn from how Australian public holidays work (state/territory declarations, not one national substitute list) and the FY2025–26 position that Saturday 25 April 2026 is Anzac Day everywhere, with the extra Monday on 27 April declared in **NSW, WA, and the ACT** only, not in the other states and the NT. The response is structured to state the date, reject a uniform national Monday, name the jurisdictions, and list what individual entitlement **depends on**, per the task brief.