Think you're automatically entitled to a day in lieu if you work a public holiday? Not always!
Most readers will know that when an employer requires an employee to work on a public holiday the employee must be paid a minimum of time-and-a-half for the time they work on that
day. In addition, the employee may be entitled to an alternative day's holiday on pay " often referred to as a day in lieu. But the catch is that the alternative day entitlement only applies if the public holiday is a day on which the employee normally works.
So, if you normally work certain days in a week, a particular day falls as a public holiday and your employer requires you to work that day, you are entitled to be paid time-and-a-half with an alternative day's paid holiday/day in lieu. But this applies only to those hours normally worked on that day. For example, if your normal work day is, say, 4 hours - you aren't entitled to be paid for an 8 hour day.
On the flip side, if you work certain days in a week, and work an additional day which happens to be a public holiday, you are entitled to be paid time-and-a-half for the hours worked. But there is no entitlement to an alternative day's paid holiday/day in lieu.
Of course, if your employer does not require you to work on a public holiday (eg: an office worker), then you can enjoy the public holiday and get paid your normal pay.
