# Anzac Day 2026 (Saturday 25 April): is there a substitute Monday public holiday everywhere in Australia?

## Short answer

No. There is no single, uniform national substitute public holiday on Monday 27 April 2026 that applies to all employees across the country. Whether an employee gets an extra Monday public holiday depends on the **state or territory** in which they are based, because public holidays in Australia are set by each jurisdiction's own legislation, not by a single national rule.

For Anzac Day specifically, most jurisdictions do **not** create a substitute Monday when 25 April falls on a weekend. Anzac Day is generally a "fixed date" holiday observed on 25 April itself, with no automatic Monday in lieu. So the more common outcome in 2026 is **no extra Monday**, with a minority of jurisdictions being the exception.

## Why it varies (and why there's no national Monday)

Public holidays for employment purposes are governed by the relevant **state and territory** legislation, and the Fair Work Act's National Employment Standards (s 115) defers to whatever days a state or territory law declares to be public holidays. There is no Commonwealth law that creates a uniform substitute Anzac Day holiday for everyone. As a result, the answer turns on each jurisdiction's own treatment of Anzac Day.

The key distinction is between:

- jurisdictions that treat Anzac Day as a strict fixed-date holiday (observed only on 25 April, with **no** substitute day when it lands on a weekend); and
- jurisdictions whose legislation provides that when Anzac Day falls on a weekend, an **additional** day (typically the following Monday) is also a public holiday.

Anzac Day is treated differently from holidays like Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Australia Day and New Year's Day, where most jurisdictions do legislate a Monday (or substitute weekday) in lieu when the date falls on a weekend. For Anzac Day, the default in most places is no substitution.

## What an employee's answer turns on

1. **Which state or territory the employee is in.** This is the single most important factor. The same calendar date (Sat 25 April 2026) can produce an extra Monday holiday in one jurisdiction and no extra day in the next.
2. **Whether that jurisdiction's public-holiday legislation provides a substitute/additional day for Anzac Day specifically** when it falls on a weekend (as opposed to for Christmas/New Year/Australia Day). Anzac Day is commonly carved out as a fixed-date holiday with no substitution.
3. **Any holiday gazetted/declared for that year**, since jurisdictions confirm their public holiday lists annually and a small number may declare an additional day.
4. **The employee's actual roster and instrument.** Whether a Saturday or any substitute Monday actually attracts a "public holiday" benefit (penalty rates, a paid day off, NES entitlements under s 114-116) also depends on the applicable award, enterprise agreement or contract and on whether the employee would ordinarily work that day.

## Bottom line for the payroll officer

Do not pay or roster on the assumption that **all** Australian employees get an extra public holiday on Monday 27 April 2026. The correct approach is to check **each relevant state or territory's** declared public holidays for 2026:

- In jurisdictions where Anzac Day is a fixed-date holiday with no weekend substitution (the usual case), there is **no extra Monday** - the holiday is the Saturday only.
- Only in any jurisdiction whose legislation or annual declaration provides an additional Monday for a weekend Anzac Day would employees there get the extra public holiday.

Treat employees jurisdiction by jurisdiction, and confirm against the official 2026 public holiday list published for each state and territory.