Overtime Pay in the ACT: Rates, Rules & Your Rights (2026)

Overtime pay in the ACT runs entirely on the federal Fair Work system — unlike Western Australia, the Territory never had a separate industrial relations commission to begin with, so every ACT employer and employee sits under the same modern awards and enterprise agreements as the rest of the country. What makes the ACT genuinely different isn't the legal system — it's the workforce. No other jurisdiction has anywhere near the share of workers employed in the public service, and a large slice of that workforce is paid under enterprise agreements rather than a standard modern award.

This guide covers the standard federal overtime rates that apply in Canberra, how Australian Public Service (APS) enterprise agreements change the picture for Commonwealth employees, and the ACT's two territory-only public holidays.

Quick answer: Under most federal modern awards, overtime in the ACT is paid at 150% for the first 2 hours on weekdays and Saturday, 200% after that, 200% for all Sunday overtime, and 250% for public holiday work. Commonwealth public servants covered by an APS agency enterprise agreement instead follow that agreement's own overtime and time-off-in-lieu clauses, which can differ from award rates. Canberra Day (second Monday in March) and Reconciliation Day (1 June 2026) are ACT-only public holidays with no equivalent anywhere else in Australia.

Use the Dolaro Overtime Pay Calculator to calculate your exact gross pay including overtime at any rate.

How Overtime Works in the ACT

The ACT has no separate territory industrial relations commission — every employer, from a Civic café to the ACT Government itself, sits under the national Fair Work system administered by the Fair Work Commission and the Fair Work Ombudsman. This makes the ACT simpler than Western Australia (which runs a parallel state system) and no different in legal structure from NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia or Tasmania.

Standard federal overtime rates:

When overtime is worked	Rate	What you earn on $35/hr base
Monday–Saturday, first 2 hours of overtime	150% (time and a half)	$52.50/hr
Monday–Saturday, after 2 hours of overtime	200% (double time)	$70.00/hr
All overtime on Sunday	200% (double time)	$70.00/hr
All overtime on a public holiday	250% (double time and a half)	$87.50/hr

These rates apply under common awards including the Clerks Private Sector Award, the Hospitality Industry Award and the Building and Construction Award. Your specific award or enterprise agreement always governs over the general figures above — check the Fair Work Ombudsman's Pay and Conditions Tool for your exact entitlement.

The Public Service Factor — Why the ACT Is Different in Practice

Roughly one in three ACT workers is employed by the Commonwealth or ACT Government — a far higher concentration than any state capital. That matters for overtime because a large share of this workforce isn't paid under a standard modern award at all.

Two separate public sector systems operate in Canberra, and they are not the same thing:

Australian Public Service (APS) employees — Commonwealth departments and agencies (Treasury, Defence, the ATO, Services Australia, and dozens more) generally aren't covered by a modern award. Instead, each agency negotiates its own enterprise agreement under the Fair Work Act, and that agreement sets out the agency's own overtime rules, time-off-in-lieu (TOIL) provisions, and higher duties arrangements. Overtime eligibility and rates vary meaningfully between agencies — some pay cash overtime, others default to TOIL, and executive-level (EL) staff are frequently excluded from overtime altogether under their agreement.
ACT Public Sector (ACTPS) employees — Territory government employees (ACT Health, Canberra schools, TCCS and other directorates) are covered by the Australian Capital Territory Public Sector Enterprise Award 2016 (MA000146), a modern award made specifically for ACTPS employment, plus directorate-specific enterprise agreements sitting on top of it.

If you work for a Commonwealth department, your overtime terms are in your agency's enterprise agreement — not a generic award. If you work for the ACT Government, check your directorate's specific agreement alongside the ACTPS award. Private sector and not-for-profit employees in the ACT follow standard modern awards exactly as they would in any other state.

Saturday and Sunday Overtime in the ACT

Saturday and Sunday overtime in the ACT follow the same national logic as everywhere outside WA:

Saturday: Whether Saturday counts as overtime depends on your award's ordinary hours span. For awards that exclude Saturday from ordinary hours (clerical, professional services, many trades), Saturday overtime is 150% for the first 2 hours, then 200%. For awards where Saturday sits within ordinary hours (retail, hospitality), the Saturday penalty rate applies to ordinary hours and overtime only starts once daily or weekly limits are exceeded.
Sunday: Under most federal modern awards, all Sunday overtime is paid at 200% from the first hour, with no step-up.
APS agreement employees: Weekend overtime and TOIL accrual for Commonwealth staff is set entirely by the relevant agency enterprise agreement, which can specify different multipliers or flat TOIL-only arrangements instead of cash overtime.

ACT Public Holidays 2026

The ACT has two public holidays found nowhere else in Australia, plus the standard national calendar.

Date	Public Holiday	ACT-specific notes
1 January	New Year's Day
26 January	Australia Day
9 March	Canberra Day	Second Monday in March — ACT only, marks the naming of Canberra in 1913
3 April	Good Friday
4 April	Easter Saturday	ACT observes Easter Saturday, unlike WA
5 April	Easter Sunday
6 April	Easter Monday
25 April	Anzac Day	Falls Saturday 2026
27 April	Additional public holiday for Anzac Day	Substitute Monday
1 June	Reconciliation Day	ACT only — observed the Monday closest to 27 May, the anniversary of the 1967 referendum
8 June	King's Birthday	Same June date as NSW, VIC, SA and TAS
5 October	Labour Day	Same October date as NSW
25 December	Christmas Day
26 December	Boxing Day	Falls Saturday 2026
28 December	Additional public holiday for Boxing Day	Substitute Monday

Source: ACT Government, public holidays 2026. Always verify — the ACT can vary its calendar, and the Holidays Act 1958 separately provides for a bank holiday on the first Monday in August that applies to some sectors.

Canberra Day — second Monday in March

Canberra Day commemorates the 1913 naming ceremony of the national capital. It falls on 9 March 2026. Workers required to work Canberra Day are entitled to the full public holiday rate under their award — 250% under most federal modern awards — or their agency/directorate's equivalent enterprise agreement rate.

Reconciliation Day — 1 June 2026

Reconciliation Day is the ACT's other territory-only holiday, established in 2018 to mark the start of National Reconciliation Week and the anniversary of the 1967 referendum. Because 27 May 2026 falls on a Wednesday, the public holiday is observed on the following Monday, 1 June. Public holiday pay entitlements apply in full to anyone working on the observed day.

How to Calculate Your Overtime Pay in the ACT

Worked example — Canberra Day (federal award):

Base hourly rate: $34.00/hr Hours worked: 8 hours on Canberra Day (9 March 2026) Award: Clerks Private Sector Award (250% public holiday rate)

8 hours × $34.00 × 2.5 = $680.00
Compared to a normal Monday: 8 × $34.00 = $272.00
Additional pay for working Canberra Day: $408.00

Worked example — Saturday overtime (federal award):

Base hourly rate: $34.00/hr Overtime worked: 4 hours on Saturday Award: Building and Construction Award

First 2 hours: $34.00 × 1.5 = $51.00/hr × 2 = $102.00
Next 2 hours: $34.00 × 2.0 = $68.00/hr × 2 = $136.00
Total Saturday overtime: $238.00

Use the Overtime Pay Calculator to run any scenario instantly.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the overtime rate in the ACT?

Under most federal modern awards, overtime in the ACT is 150% for the first 2 hours on weekdays and Saturday, 200% after that, 200% for all Sunday overtime, and 250% on public holidays. Commonwealth public servants under an APS agency enterprise agreement follow that agreement's own rates instead, which can differ from award multipliers.

When is Canberra Day in 2026?

Canberra Day falls on Monday 9 March 2026 — the second Monday in March. It's an ACT-only public holiday marking the 1913 naming of the national capital. Workers on Canberra Day are entitled to the full public holiday rate under their award or enterprise agreement.

When is Reconciliation Day in 2026?

Reconciliation Day is observed on Monday 1 June 2026. It's unique to the ACT, established in 2018 to align with National Reconciliation Week and the anniversary of the 1967 referendum. Public holiday penalty rates apply in full.

Does the ACT have its own industrial relations system like WA?

No. The ACT sits entirely within the national Fair Work system — there is no separate territory industrial relations commission. This makes the ACT's legal framework simpler than WA's, and the same as NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania.

Do Commonwealth public servants get overtime the same way as everyone else?

Not exactly. Most APS employees aren't covered by a standard modern award — their agency negotiates its own enterprise agreement, which sets its own overtime rates, TOIL arrangements, and often excludes executive-level staff from overtime altogether. Check your specific agency's enterprise agreement rather than assuming standard award rates apply.

What award covers ACT Government employees?

ACT Public Sector (ACTPS) employees — those working for ACT Government directorates like Health, Education or TCCS — are covered by the Australian Capital Territory Public Sector Enterprise Award 2016 (MA000146), plus their directorate's specific enterprise agreement. This is separate from the Commonwealth APS system.

Is super paid on overtime in the ACT?

No — not under the default rules. The Superannuation Guarantee is calculated on Ordinary Time Earnings (OTE), which excludes overtime under ATO rules. This applies uniformly across the ACT, whether you're in the private sector, on an APS enterprise agreement, or covered by the ACTPS award. Check your specific agreement for any variation to this default.

This article is general information only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Overtime entitlements depend on your specific award or enterprise agreement. For general Fair Work queries, contact the Fair Work Ombudsman (13 13 94). Commonwealth employees should check their agency's enterprise agreement; ACT Government employees should check their directorate's agreement alongside the ACTPS award.