There is no single national date for Labour Day in Australia in 2026. The holiday is set independently by each state and territory, so the correct date depends entirely on where the employee actually works. Giving one confident Australia-wide date would be wrong.

For FY2025-26, the 2026 dates by jurisdiction are:

- Western Australia - Monday 2 March 2026 (first Monday in March)
- Victoria - Monday 9 March 2026 (second Monday in March)
- Tasmania - Monday 9 March 2026 (called Eight Hours Day, second Monday in March)
- Queensland - Monday 4 May 2026 (first Monday in May)
- Northern Territory - Monday 4 May 2026 (called May Day, first Monday in May)
- Australian Capital Territory - Monday 5 October 2026 (first Monday in October)
- New South Wales - Monday 5 October 2026 (first Monday in October)
- South Australia - Monday 5 October 2026 (first Monday in October)

So for a payroll officer, the operative question is which state or territory the employee works in. There is no one date that applies everywhere - it ranges from early March in WA through to early October in NSW, SA, and the ACT. To process pay and leave correctly, apply the date for the employee's place of work.