STAND UP FOR OUR COUNTRY

Some businesses are increasingly bound to flexible Australia Day entitlements by awards that include protections for staff who decline to take January 26 as a holiday. Others have declared their pride and will enforce its traditional place in the calendar.

The Australian polled businesses over whether workers would be encouraged to take the public holiday off or be offered flexibility across boardrooms, shop floors and offices.

Last year Telstra, Commonwealth Bank and AustralianSuper allowed their staff to work on Australia Day due to sensitivities those employees expressed.

At the time, ahead of the federal election, then opposition leader Peter Dutton vowed to protect the national Australia Day public holiday if he were elected prime minister. The debate has continued to embroil employers and employees, unions and industry groups.

Now some of the country’s biggest private-sector employers have altered their course after years of retailers downplaying Australia Day in their stores.

But this fresh embrace of the flag has been matched by companies deferring to pre-existing union agreements – allowing workers to swap days – and others raising the issue with staff of the Indigenous experiences when choosing to celebrate Australia Day.

Billionaire Mrs Rinehart has led the patriotic cause, and although Hancock Prospecting’s mining and agriculture sites would operate as normal (24 hours a day, seven days a week) the company’s corporate offices would close.

Mrs Rinehart’s mining company is the naming rights sponsor of the Australia Day fireworks display in Perth on January 26.

“Australia Day is a day to refresh national pride, to celebrate all the great things about our beautiful country, including our hard working pioneers who had it tough and struggled day after day to help build our country,” Mrs Rinehart said.

“It is a day I would like to encourage more people to give their time to stand up for our country, to save Australia.

“Australia Day is a day to warmly thank all those who have defended our country, and those who are in our defence forces today, and the police and emergency and other services who help to save our lives. We have many in our country to be proud of and to thank for their service.”

In the middle are companies like Woolworths and Coles – both which have experienced consumer backlashes for taking what was perceived as political positions – which will close their headquarters and expect staff to take the public holiday off.

“Our corporate office will be closed for the public holiday and if team members are seeking an alternate arrangement they can discuss options with their manager,” a spokesman for Coles said.

Other businesses, such as MLC-owner Insignia Financial, have opted for a flexible approach.

“Insignia Financial employees have the option to do a public holiday swap (substitution). We introduced this entitlement in 2025 as part of our enterprise agreement, because we understand that our employees are unique individuals, with different perspectives, values and beliefs,” chief operating officer Jason Sommer said.

“The ability to swap public holidays recognises that the traditional calendar of public holidays doesn’t reflect everyone’s perspectives and values.

“The feedback from our employees has been that they are very appreciative of this entitlement and the personal flexibility it gives them for their individual beliefs and values.”

A spokesman for CSL, Australia largest healthcare company which started life as a government agency in 1916, said the company recognised that Australia Day had “different meanings for individuals” and it aimed to respect that diversity within its workforce.

“We offer all Australian employees the flexibility to work on the Australia Day public holiday, where that day would otherwise be a normal workday for them, and take an alternative day off that better aligns with their personal or cultural preferences,” the spokesman said.

“This approach reflects our commitment to inclusion and supporting individual choice.”

Virgin Australia said it understood Australia Day would have a very different meaning to the airline’s Indigenous staff and communities, and this would be reflected in its public holiday policy. While it would rely on existing enterprise agreements, it is also encouraged respectful dialogue and understanding among all of its team members.

Workers at utility AGL can also swap Australia Day for another day off.

At hardware giant Bunnings, the company has adopted the same approach for all public holidays, whereby its workers have the option to notify in advance whether they want to work that day and rosters were arranged based on preferences and operational needs.

AustralianSuper, the nation’s largest superannuation fund with more than $400bn of retirement savings on behalf of over 3.6 million members, has a workplace enterprise bargaining agreement which permits staff to work on Australia Day if they choose to. As part of AustralianSuper’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, its EBA states colleagues may work on the January 26 public holiday and take another day off.

Similarly industry fund Cbus says its employees have the right to substitute public holidays, such as Australia Day, as long as they have with prior approval.

“An employer and employee may agree to substitute another day for a day that would otherwise be a public holiday under the NES,” meaning national employment standards, according to the banking, finance and insurance award 2020.