If you’re looking for an extended long weekend this year then Friday, 26 April 2024 is looking like a favourite with workers throughout Australia.

In 2024 ANZAC Day falls on Thursday, 25 April and this makes for an awkward single day back at work before the weekend. You can be certain that your colleagues will eye off this date as a cheeky way to give themselves an extra long 4 day weekend.

There are not really any opportunities to gain bulk time off work without using too much of your holiday leave in 2024. The year 2025 shapes as the best year to grab some bulk time off with the ability to take 10 days off whilst only using 3 days of annual leave. The bulk leave opportunities usually arise due to the Easter holidays moving each year. On occasion they land in a favourable place that is close to other public holidays such as ANZAC Day.

The Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, has proposed a special one-off public holiday for all Australians if the Matildas win the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The Matildas have been on a historic run and have reached the furthest point in a World Cup tournament of any previous Australian team. The Quarter Final broke Australian television viewership records and was the most watched TV event in Australia since Cathy Freeman’s 400m Gold Medal run in Sydney 23 years ago (source:news.com.au).

Mr Albanese has encountered some resistance to his idea, with industry groups arguing there could be a huge economic burden as a result of the unplanned public holiday.

Australian state and territory leaders are due to discuss the public holiday at National Cabinet on August 16th.

The Women’s World Cup final will be held in Sydney on Sunday, August 20. If approved, it is anticipated the public holiday would be observed on Monday, 21 August 2023.

The Matildas face England in the semi final on Wednesday 16 August in what should be a tough challenge. England is currently favoured to win that game but every Australian knows that we love being the underdog. Go Matildas!

All Australians love a good holiday rort and the year 2025 presents an opportunity that your colleagues will want to jump on before anyone else can.

It doesn’t happen every year, but from time to time the planets (or the moon actually) align to create a golden opportunity to have an extended break whilst using minimal personal holiday leave.

In 2025, it will be possible to have a 10 day holiday whilst only using 3 days of annual leave. This situation has arisen due to the fact that the Easter holidays move each year dependent on the date of the Paschal Full Moon. The Paschal Full Moon is the first full moon that occurs after the spring equinox.

In Australia, Easter can move between late March and into April. In 2025, Easter occurs later in April, which brings it closer to the ANZAC Day holiday. ANZAC Day occurs on a fixed date every year (25 April).

Put Your Leave Form in Now!

It is typical that workers will jump to put their leave forms in early to take advantage of these extended breaks so the sooner you put your leave form in, the better.

Below is a break down of the 10 day holiday window:

• Friday, 18 April 2025 – Good Friday
• Saturday, 19 April 2025 – Easter Saturday / Weekend
• Sunday, 20 April 2025 – Easter Sunday / Weekend
• Monday, 21 April 2025 – Easter Monday
• Tuesday, 22 April 2025 – Use annual leave
• Wednesday, 23 April 2025 – Use annual leave
• Thursday, 24 April 2025 – Use annual leave
• Friday, 25 April 2025 – ANZAC Day
• Saturday, 26 April 2025 – Weekend
• Sunday, 27 April 2025 – Weekend

The Omicron variant of COVID-19 has created new challenges for Australia’s health system. Whilst symptoms of the Omicron variant appear to be milder, it spreads more easily and rapidly than previous variants.

Testing capacity in NSW is under enormous pressure with a huge spike in people being exposed to the virus. The majority of the people receiving tests do not have the need to receive medical care due to our high vaccination rate combined with the somewhat milder symptoms of Omicron. It is still essential for those with symptoms to get tested but the government has been caught out by the sheer volume of tests required.

NSW Health advises that the only people getting a PCR (nose and throat swab) should be those who have COVID-19 symptoms; live in a household with a confirmed COVID-19 case; or have been advised by NSW Health to get a test. (Source: health.nsw.gov.au)

The government is scrambling to find solutions in this very dynamic environment as Rapid Antigen Tests become more appealing as a way to handle the skyrocketing numbers of tests required. We expect to see more announcements in coming days and weeks to help free up testing clinics and the health system.

Note that this information is current at the time this article was created (3 January, 2022). Due to the dynamic nature of the COVID rollout it is advised to continue checking the NSW Health website for any updates.

As Australia’s COVID-19 vaccination rollout continues more and more Aussies are lining up to get their jabs.

The majority of Australian’s in full time employment work from Monday to Friday, so it makes sense that some of the population would look to get their vaccination jabs on weekends or public holidays.

The official word from NSW Health is that vaccination clinics are only open from Monday to Friday.

As stated on the NSW Health Website – NSW Health’s vaccination clinics generally operate Monday to Friday. Therefore, there may be limited or no vaccines administered on weekend days and public holidays due to planned closures. (Source: health.nsw.gov.au)

As each locally acquired case of COVID-19 occurs and the threat of lockdowns or restrictions increases, it seems that the a higher number of the general public are willing to get their vaccinations sooner rather than later. It would be beneficial to the members of the NSW community if vaccination clinics had more flexibility by opening on weekends and public holidays to allow all members an opportunity to get their vaccinations.

Note that this information is current at the time this article was created (23 June, 2021). Due to the dynamic nature of the COVID rollout it is advised to continue checking the NSW Health website for any updates.

ANZAC Day, Australia’s most sacred day, has been majorly disrupted by the Coronavirus pandemic, with all traditional services now cancelled.

The services to mark the participation in World War 1 will no longer take place due to restrictions on large gatherings caused by the threat of Coronavirus (COVID-19).

At the time of writing this article Australian’s are not permitted to gather in groups of more than two people, making it impossible to show hold the usual parades and presentations.

Instead, Australians are looking at alternatives to show their respects on April 25.

One alternative that has been gaining traction is the idea of a dawn driveway service, loosely named Light Up The Dawn. It has been suggested that Australians walk to the ends of their driveways at dawn with candles to show their respects.

The driveway movement has even gained the endorsement of the RSL. RSL Australia general manager Kim Henshaw said “This gives them a way that they can have their own private commemoration. We see it as very positive indeed.” (source: news.com.au).

Whatever the outcome we believe all Australians will unite, albeit from a distance, to show their respects in what will be the most unique ANZAC Day we have ever seen.

In 2019, Australian workers were blessed with an opportunity to take a 10 day holiday whilst only using 3 days of leave. This was due to ANZAC Day falling mid way through the week and in close proximity to the Easter holidays.

The news is not good for those looking for a holiday rort in 2020. ANZAC Day falls on a Saturday in 2020 and there is no additional holiday during the week when ANZAC Day falls on a weekend.

Easter is the best time of year to get an extended break in 2020 as it is the only 4 day weekend in the 2020 public holiday calendar.

If you get in quicker than your work colleagues you will be able to have a 10 day holiday whilst only using 4 days of leave.

Here are the dates:

Saturday, 4th April 2020 – Weekend
Sunday, 5th April 2020 – Weekend
Monday, 6th April 2020 – Day #1 Annual Leave
Tuesday, 7th April 2020 – Day #2 Annual Leave
Wednesday, 8th April 2020 – Day #3 Annual Leave
Thursday, 9th April 2020 – Day #4 Annual Leave
Friday, 10th April 2020 – Easter Friday Holiday
Saturday, 11th April 2020 – Easter Saturday (weekend)
Sunday, 12th April 2020 – Easter Sunday (weekend)
Monday, 13th April 2020 – Easter Monday Holiday

Note you could also achieve the same result between Friday 10th April and Sunday 19th April.

So what are you waiting for. Get those annual leave forms in now before everyone else in the office does!

It’s an Australian tradition to try to avoid work as much as possible and 2019 presents a great opportunity to combine public holidays with your annual leave to make a super mega annual holiday without using up all of your leave.

In 2019 Easter Monday and Anzac Day are just 3 days apart which presents a unique opportunity to piggy back some annual leave onto the Easter 4 day weekend and bridge the gap.

If you manage to nail this highly sought after holiday period you will be able to have a 10 day holiday whilst only using 3 days of annual leave!

Here are the dates:

Friday, 19 April 2019 – Good Friday (public holiday)
Saturday, 20April 2019 – Easter Saturday (weekend)
Sunday, 21 April 2019 – Easter Sunday (weekend)
Monday, 22 April 2019 – Easter Monday (public holiday)
Tuesday, 23 April 2019 – ANNUAL LEAVE DAY #1
Wednesday, 24 April 2019 – ANNUAL LEAVE DAY #2
Thursday, 25 April 2019 – ANZAC Day (public holiday)
Friday, 26 April 2019 – ANNUAL LEAVE DAY #3
Saturday, 27 April 2019 – (weekend)
Sunday, 28 April 2019 – (weekend)

So what are you waiting for. Get those annual leave forms in now before everyone else in the office does!

It’s that time of year again. The annual Australia Day lamb ad has just dropped but this year there isn’t as much controversy as the past ads have caused.

This year’s lamb ad features some typical Aussie humour with the basis being our recent fall from grace in cricket and the constant turnstyle of new Prime Ministers. Aussies have always been good at poking fun at themselves. The characters decide the only way to fix things is to merge our country with New Zealand.

In 2017 the Australia Day lamb ads caused quite the controversy, seeming to poke fun at the “invasion” of Aboriginal land by overseas settlers.

The closest the 2019 version of the ad gets to anything controversial is a subtle mention of selecting a new Australia Day Date that we can all agree on. Apart from that it’s a pretty timid campaign compared to previous years.

View the Meat and Livestock Australia’s (MLA) advertisement for Australia Day 2017 below: