Reminder: Shutdown Notice Period

#annualleave #buisnessoperations #christmas #christmasclosedown #closedownperiod #leaveoverchristmas #notice Oct 03, 2025

With the festive season fast approaching, now is the perfect time to inform your team about your business’s plans for Christmas and New Year. Over this period most businesses will typically close down for several days, however depending on the industry you work in, other businesses may ramp up staffing or maintain operations as per usual.

Communicating Your Close‑Down Plan

If you plan to close for the holiday season, you must inform employees in writing of:

The exact start and end dates of the shutdown
The rationale for the closure
Leave arrangements for that period

The notice period depends on the relevant award or agreement. For instance the Retail Award requires 28 days’ notice, whereas the Building & Construction Award requires 2 months’ notice. Always check the award or agreement that applies to your employees.

Some staff may be directed to take annual leave during this period in certain circumstances and as long as the relevant award or agreement supports it. The direction must be reasonable, provided in writing, and within the required notice period. If an employee hasn't accrued enough leave, options include taking unpaid leave, going into negative leave, or working during the shut down period - no matter the option though, it's important both the employee and employer agree in writing. If taking paid leave they will still accrue annual leave, however not during unpaid leave.

What next?

Unsure what the notice requirements for a specific Award are? A full list of awards can be found here and include details about the notice requirement. If you're unsure which Award applies to you or your staff member, or are confused about any information about shutdown periods, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] - we're here to help!

Author RG (Employii Human Resources)

Reminder: Shutdown Notice Period

Communicating Your Close‑Down Plan

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