A-Z Guide: EASTER AND ANZAC DAY 2025

With Easter and ANZAC Day just around the corner, it's essential for businesses to understand how public holiday regulations and shop trading restrictions may affect operations. From Good Friday closures to Easter Sunday trading rules and ANZAC Day morning restrictions, staying informed will help you manage staffing, payroll, and compliance effectively.

In this guide facilitated by EMA, we’ll break down key considerations for employers, including trading laws, employee entitlements, and best practices for managing public holiday pay and rosters. Whether you're planning ahead for staffing or checking if your business can trade on restricted days, here’s what you need to know.

Key Dates:

• Good Friday Friday 18 April 2025
• Easter Sunday Sunday 20 April 2025
• Easter Monday Monday 21 April 2025
• ANZAC Day Friday 25 April 2025

Good Friday

Good Friday is a public holiday, and it is also one of the 3.5 days a year when the Shop Trading Hours Act 1990 requires most shops to close.

Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday is not a public holiday and is therefore treated like any other Sunday in relation to employment. Easter Sunday is however subject to shop trading restrictions with very limited exceptions.

If your business normally operates on a Sunday and you do not require employees to work on Easter Sunday, it is recommended you consider how the day will be managed and discuss your requirements with employees. Annual leave or changes in rostered days may be considered as options as long as you comply with the Holidays Act 2003 requirements and any relevant terms of employment. If unable to agree on an alternative, you may have an obligation to provide employees with pay for the day.

Shop trading restrictions

If you are affected by shop trading restrictions on Easter Sunday, consider whether other work can be provided to your employees that does not involve trading to the public, for example, stocktaking or administrative work.

Shop trading – local council policy and notice to employees

If you intend to trade on Easter Sunday, first check whether this is permitted under a local council policy. Local councils are able to form a policy allowing shops to choose whether to open on Easter Sunday. If you require your employees to work on the day, you will need to start the process early – employees must be given at least 4 weeks' (but not more than 8 weeks') notice of the requirement to work on Easter Sunday, and they have the right to refuse.'

Easter Monday

Easter Monday is a public holiday.

ANZAC Day

ANZAC Day is a public holiday and is also subject to shop trading restrictions.

Shop trading restrictions

Shop trading restrictions apply up to 1pm Friday 25 April 2025.
Refer to the A-Z Guide on Shop Trading Restrictions for more information about the process.

For more information on employer responsibilities and obligations, click here to download the full PDF →

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