Additional Public Holiday: Thursday 22 September 2022
An additional public holiday has been gazetted in both NSW and the ACT on Thursday 22 September 2022 as a National Day of Mourning following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
It is expected that most members will not attend their schools/workplaces as they will be closed on the day.
Most enterprise agreements and the Fair Work Act entitle an employee to be absent from his or her employment on a public holiday. An employer may request an employee to work on a public holiday if that request is reasonable. If an employer requests an employee to work on a public holiday, the employee may refuse the request if it is not reasonable or the employee’s refusal is reasonable.
Contact your IEU Organiser if your employer wants you to work on 22 September 2022 to discuss whether the request is reasonable and what options there are in terms of payment and/or time in lieu.
The additional public holiday also impacts on members who are on leave such as personal carers or long service leave at the time – 22 September should not be counted as leave if the additional public holiday falls within a period of such leave.
Please contact your Organiser should you require further details. Should a specific set of circumstances exist in your workplace these will be dealt with on a case by case basis.
