The Easter period is rapidly approaching.  If you are working or employing during this period, it is important to understand public holiday entitlements and obligations.

The Western Australian public holidays for the 2019 Easter period are:

• Good Friday – Friday 19 April 2019
• Easter Monday – Monday 22 April 2019

The public holiday for ANZAC Day is Thursday 25 April 2019. 

Visit the Easter 2019 public holiday arrangements page for:

• An overview of the Easter public holiday payment arrangements for state system employers and employees
• Detailed information on public holiday arrangements for:
  • State system award free employees
  • Shop and Warehouse Award
  • Restaurant, Tearoom and Catering Workers Award
  • Hairdressers Award

Easter Saturday

While Easter Saturday is not a public holiday in Western Australia, some WA awards require an employee to be paid additional rates on this day.  The most commonly used of these are the Building Trades (Construction) Award, the Hairdressers Award and the Shop and Warehouse Award.

If your award is one of Wageline’s top 35 awards, visit the WA award summaries page for further information. Other WA awards can be viewed in full on the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission website or contact Wageline for more information.

Wageline will be closed on:

Friday 19 April (Good Friday)

Monday 22 April (Easter Monday)

Thursday 25 April (ANZAC Day)

State system employers and employees should note that the Building Trades (Construction) Award was varied in December 2018.

Wageline has updated the WA award summary – Building Trades (Construction) Award to reflect the increased pay rates and allowances, which apply from the first pay period on or after 12 December 2018.

The Hon Bill Johnston MLA, Minister for Industrial Relations, has announced an Inquiry into the systematic and deliberate underpayment of wages or entitlements of workers in Western Australia.

The Inquiry is being undertaken by Mr Tony Beech, former Chief Commissioner of the WA Industrial Relations Commission. The Inquiry terms of reference include:

• Whether there is evidence of wage theft occurring in Western Australia;
• What are the reasons it is occurring, including whether it has become the business model for some organisations;
• The impact on workers, the businesses that are compliant with employment laws, and the Western Australian community and economy;
• Whether the current State and Federal regulatory framework for dealing with wage theft is effective in combating wage theft and supporting affected workers; and
• Whether new laws should be introduced in Western Australia to address wage theft, and if so, whether wage theft should be a criminal offence.

The complete terms of reference and further information on the Inquiry are available at www.dmirs.wa.gov.au/wagetheftinquiry.

Workers, employers, unions, employer organisations and community organisations and stakeholders are invited to make a submission to the Inquiry.

Submissions can be provided via email to wagetheftinquiry@dmirs.wa.gov.au and an online survey form that workers can complete to provide details of their experiences of wage theft to the Inquiry is at www.dmirs.wa.gov.au/wagetheftinquiry.

Submissions close on Wednesday 27 March 2019.