Friday before the Grand Final public holiday: What Victorian businesses need to know

This year’s footy finals fever once again culminates in a statewide public holiday the day before the AFL Grand Final.

When and where?

The Friday before the Grand Final public holiday falls on September 29, and is a statewide public holiday for Victoria.

Entitlements for absent staff

As usual, full-time and part-time employees who take the public holiday off “should be paid their base rate of pay for the hours they otherwise would have worked” Business Victoria confirms. “Employees are only entitled to payment if the public holiday falls on a day that they normally work.”

Casual employees only get entitlements if they work on the public holiday.

Entitlements for staff who work on the Friday before Grand Final day

If you’re employing staff on the day, they may be entitled to penalty rates for each hour worked on the day. This Fair Work Ombudsman Pay and Conditions Tool can help you calculate penalty rates.

Should I open?

The Friday before the Grand Final is not a restricted trading day, so the decision to open is yours and should be considered with your potential revenue weighed up against your operating costs – including the additional pay to staff earning penalty rates.

Last year, the National Day of Mourning public holiday for Queen Elizabeth II fell on Thursday 22 September, which combined with the Day before the Grand Final public holiday to grant Victorians a four-day long weekend. Workers outside Victoria were tipped to take the Friday off too, a four-day weekend simply too good to pass up.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, no such extra-long weekend will take off this year.

Despite being a favourite among many AFL fans, the Friday before the Grand Final public holiday is not a popular one for many Victorian business leaders, who must either lose out on revenue by not opening or pay higher wages due to penalty rates.

What do you think? Will you be opening? Let us know.