The ACT Government has declared that from 2007 an additional public holiday will be observed in the ACT on the first Tuesday in November (ie. Melbourne Cup Day). The public holiday is called Family and Community Day.
Employees under the national workplace relations system are entitled to certain specified public holidays plus any additional holidays declared by a State or Territory to be observed generally within that State or Territory. Employees in the ACT covered under the national workplace relations system are entitled to a day off on the Family and Community Day public holiday, subject to an employer\'s right to request that employees work on public holidays and an employee\'s right to refuse requests to work, if reasonable in the circumstances. The Act contains a list of factors of relevance when considering whether any refusal to work on a public holiday is reasonable.
If employees are required to work on the public holiday, the terms of any relevant federal award, workplace agreement or contract of employment should be considered to determine their entitlements regarding payment for the time worked.