NDIS Public Holiday Rates 2025-26

Public holidays bring higher costs across the NDIS sector - for providers managing payroll, participants receiving support, and workers delivering essential care. Understanding NDIS public holiday rates for 2025-26 is critical to staying compliant, transparent, and financially sustainable.

This article breaks down how public holiday rates apply in 2025, what providers can charge, what participants are billed, and what employees must be paid under the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and SCHADS Award.
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What Public Holiday Rates Are and Why They Matter?

Public holiday rates are premium wages paid to employees who work on designated public holidays. This rate affects both how NDIS services are billed and how support workers are paid.

In simple terms:

• NDIS price limits set the maximum amount providers are allowed to charge for supports delivered on public holidays.
• SCHADS Award penalties determine the higher wages providers must pay employees who work on these days.

While these two frameworks are connected, they serve different purposes - one regulates NDIS pricing and claims, and the other ensures workplace and payroll compliance.

Understanding how both systems operate together is essential to avoid underpaying staff, overcharging participants, or falling short of compliance requirements.
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2025-26 Holiday Pay Guide (NDIS & SCHADS)

Public holidays impact everyone in the NDIS sector - providers, participants, and support workers. For providers, public holidays often mean higher labour costs. Participants may notice increased charges, and employees are entitled to premium pay rates under the SCHADS Award. Understanding how NDIS price limits and SCHADS public holiday penalties work together is essential to ensure compliance, transparency, and fair pay.

For Providers: NDIS Price Limits on Public Holidays (2025-26)

The NDIS Pricing Arrangements & Price Limits 2025-26 set clear caps on what providers can charge participants for supports delivered on public holidays. These rates ensure that charges remain fair and consistent across the sector.
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Public Holiday Price Limits (Max Billable Rates)

• These are price limits, not staff wages.
• You must not charge above these amounts.
• Rates are based on when the service is delivered, not when the roster was published.
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‍Participant Public Holiday Charge Example

These higher participant charges reflect increased labour costs due to SCHADS Award penalties - but they are capped by the NDIS.
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Provider Compliance Tips

• Include public holiday pricing in all service agreements.
• Charge based on delivery date and time, not roster planning or timesheet submission.
• Communicate clearly with participants when supports fall on public holidays to avoid billing disputes.
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For Employees: SCHADS Award Public Holiday Rates

Public holiday work is rewarded under the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award (SCHADS Award). Employees receive higher pay to reflect the additional commitment required on these days.
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Permanent Staff (Full-Time & Part-Time)

Permanent employees are entitled to 250% of their base rate (double time and a half) when working on a public holiday.

Source: SCHADS Award Pay Guide (MA000100 - effective 1 Oct 2025), Fair Work Ombudsman
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Casual Staff

Casual workers receive 250% plus a 25% casual loading (total 275%) for public holidays, which can result in slightly higher pay than permanent staff for the same role.

Source: SCHADS Award Pay Guide (MA000100 - effective 1 Oct 2025), Fair Work Ombudsman
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For the latest updates or to calculate exact pay based on classification, visit the Fair Work Ombudsman’s Pay and Conditions Tool at calculate.fairwork.gov.au.

Key SCHADS Award Points

• Public holiday rates override standard weekend or evening penalties.
• Overtime may still apply for hours worked beyond ordinary rostered hours.
• Always apply the correct award rates - miscalculations can lead to compliance and legal issues.
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How to Calculate Your Public Holiday Pay?

1. Identify your classification level (e.g., Level 2, Level 3) under the SCHADS Award and confirm your base hourly rate.
2. Determine the applicable public holiday loading. Under many interpretations: ordinary hours worked on a public holiday = 250% of base rate for full‑/part‑time employees.
3. Multiply: Base Hourly Rate × 2.5 = Public Holiday Hourly Rate (approx).

• Example: Base rate = $38.42 → Public holiday rate ≈ $38.42 × 2.5 = $96.05 per hour.

4. If you are casual, add on your casual loading (typically 25%) on top of the public holiday rate, meaning around 275% of base.

Practical Example:
A Level 4 support worker with a base rate of $46.35/hour works an 8‑hour shift on a public holiday. At 2.5× base: $46.35 × 2.5 = $115.88/hour equivalent? Actually: $46.35 × 2.5 = $115.88 per hour → for 8 hours: $927.04. (Note: Some sources show CWC Care calculation of $46.35 × 1.5 = $69.53/hr - likely using base × 1.5 rather than 2.5, so you’ll want to clarify which multiplier your provider uses.)
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What Does This Means for NDIS Service Providers & Participants?

For Providers

• Rostering care on public holidays means significantly higher labour cost per hour.
• Transparent pricing is essential: participants should understand if their session falls on a public holiday and why the cost may be higher.
• Ensure compliance with the SCHADS Award and that staff are paid appropriately to avoid under‑payment risk.
• Use reliable systems (payroll/timesheet) that apply the correct loading for public holidays.

For Participants

• Understand that if your support session falls on a public holiday, you may see a higher charge (reflecting the higher worker pay rate).
• Ask your provider: “What rate applies for public holiday support for my worker classification?”
• Plan ahead: if you’re scheduling care during public holidays, check the cost, and whether alternative days may reduce expenses (if feasible and appropriate).
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How Imploy Helps with Public Holiday Pay and Compliance?

At Imploy, we make managing public holiday rates and payroll compliance simple for NDIS providers. Our platform is designed to ensure workers are paid correctly under the SCHADS Award, without the stress of manual calculations or compliance errors.

Here’s how Imploy supports providers and teams during public holidays:

• Automated Award Interpretation
  imploy’s payroll system automatically applies the correct public holiday loadings (250% for permanent staff, 275% for casuals) according to the SCHADS Award, ensuring staff are paid fairly and accurately.
• Transparent Rostering Tools
  Our rostering feature clearly highlights upcoming public holidays and associated rates, helping providers plan shifts and budgets in advance.
• Accurate Payroll and Timesheets
  Imploy integrates timesheets with pay rates so that every public holiday shift is calculated correctly - reducing the risk of underpayment or Fair Work compliance issues.
• Clear Participant Invoicing
  We help providers maintain transparent pricing by automatically including the correct rate in invoices, so participants understand why their public holiday sessions may cost more.‍
• Fairness for Workers, Clarity for Providers
  With Imploy, providers can focus on delivering quality care while being confident their payroll and compliance obligations are met every time.

Final Thoughts

Public holidays like Christmas and New Year are critical periods in the NDIS, where support workers continue providing essential care while most services close. Understanding SCHADS public holiday rates helps workers ensure they’re paid correctly and allows providers to plan costs, roster confidently, and stay compliant.

With clear systems and transparent communication - supported by tools like Imploy, providers can manage higher holiday costs effectively, while participants continue to receive reliable, high-quality care when it matters most.
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FAQs

1. What is considered a public holiday under the NDIS?

A public holiday is a day officially recognised by the relevant state or territory government, such as Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day. NDIS public holiday rates apply when supports are delivered on these recognised holidays.

2. Do NDIS public holiday rates apply to all participants?

Public holiday pricing applies to NDIA-managed and plan-managed participants. For self-managed participants, providers can charge agreed rates, but these should still be clearly outlined in the service agreement.

3. Can NDIS providers charge more than the price limits on public holidays?

No. NDIS providers must not charge above the NDIS price limits, even if they are paying staff higher SCHADS public holiday penalty rates. The published rates are maximum caps, not guidelines.

4. What public holiday rate should support workers be paid?

Under the SCHADS Award:

• Permanent employees are paid 250% of their base rate
• Casual employees are paid 250% plus a 25% casual loading (275%)

The exact amount depends on the worker’s SCHADS classification level.

5. Do public holiday rates override weekend or evening penalties?

Yes. Public holiday penalties override standard weekend, evening, or night shift penalties. Only one penalty rate applies, unless overtime conditions are triggered.

6. How does Imploy help with public holiday rates?

Imploy automatically applies SCHADS compliant public holiday pay rates, flags public holidays in rosters, calculates payroll accurately, and ensures participant invoices reflect correct NDIS pricing - helping providers stay compliant and transparent.