Easter Saturday is **not a public holiday uniformly across Australia**. Its status varies significantly between jurisdictions, and an employee's entitlement depends on **which state or territory they work in**.

## Jurisdiction-by-Jurisdiction Status

| Jurisdiction | Easter Saturday Public Holiday? | Notes |
|-------------|--------------------------------|-------|
| **New South Wales** | ✅ Yes | Public holiday under the *Public Holidays Act 2010* (NSW) |
| **Victoria** | ✅ Yes | Public holiday (since 2016 amendment) |
| **Queensland** | ✅ Yes | Public holiday under the *Holidays Act 1983* (Qld) |
| **South Australia** | ✅ Yes | Public holiday (referred to as "Easter Saturday") |
| **Australian Capital Territory** | ✅ Yes | Public holiday |
| **Northern Territory** | ✅ Yes | Public holiday |
| **Tasmania** | ❌ No | **Not** a public holiday; only Easter Sunday is the additional Easter holiday |
| **Western Australia** | ❌ No | **Not** a public holiday; only Good Friday and Easter Monday are public holidays |

## What the Employee's Answer Turns On

The critical determining factor is the **employee's state or territory of employment**, not their residence, employer's headquarters location, or any national standard. Specifically:

1. **The applicable industrial relations system**: Most private sector employees in Australia are covered by the **Fair Work Act 2009* (Cth) national system, but public holidays are defined by reference to **state and territory public holiday legislation** (see Fair Work Act s. 115, which refers to days "prescribed by law" of the relevant state or territory).

2. **State and territory public holiday statutes**: Each jurisdiction maintains its own list of declared public holidays. There is no federal override that harmonizes Easter Saturday status.

3. **Enterprise agreements or awards**: Even where Easter Saturday is not a statutory public holiday, some employees may have negotiated it as a paid day off through collective bargaining—though this is a contractual entitlement, not a statutory one.

## Practical Implications

For a payroll officer processing leave and penalty rates for FY2025-26:

- **Employees in NSW, Vic, Qld, SA, ACT, NT**: Easter Saturday (4 April 2026) attracts public holiday penalty rates and entitlements if worked; day off with pay if full-time/part-time and not required to work (subject to reasonable request/refusal provisions).
- **Employees in Tasmania and Western Australia**: No automatic public holiday entitlement. Easter Saturday is treated as an ordinary Saturday unless otherwise covered by specific award, agreement, or employer policy.

## Conclusion

There is **no single national answer**. The payroll officer must **identify each employee's work location** and apply the relevant state or territory public holiday declaration. The patchwork reflects Australia's federal system where public holiday declarations remain a state and territory responsibility, even within the national workplace relations framework.