Wages information for 2025 holiday season
Key dates and useful resources during the holiday season.
Weekly compensation payments
During the two-week period of Monday 22 December 2025 to Friday 2 January 2026, weekly compensation payments will be brought forward and paid as follows:
- Weekly compensation payments due between Monday 22 December and Friday 26 December will be brought forward and paid on Monday 22 December 2025.
- Payments between Monday 29 December and Friday 2 January will be brought forward and paid on Monday 29 December 2025.
What you need to do
- If you have workers who are due to be paid wages, including partials, over the two-week period from Monday 22 December to Friday 2 January, please ensure you upload all partials to be paid to the claim via WorkCover Connect, as well as suitable duties plans for that period by Monday 15 December 2025.
- Where WorkCover is continuing to pay injured workers directly, we will top up in line with the suitable duties plan, and then in January review any overpayment / underpayment based on actual hours worked when the partials are provided.
- Please let us know before Monday 15 December if you have any mandatory shutdown period that may impact any workers being compensated for wages. This will ensure they are paid the correct entitlement depending on their capacity.
WorkCover holiday opening hours
| Thursday 25 December | Christmas Day (closed) |
|---|---|
| Friday 26 December | Boxing Day public holiday (closed) |
| Saturday 27 December | closed |
| Sunday 28 December | closed |
| Monday 29 December | open 8:00AM - 5:30PM (normal business hours) |
| Tuesday 30 December | open 8:00AM - 5:30PM (normal business hours) |
| Wednesday 31 December | open 8:00AM - 5:30PM (normal business hours) |
| Thursday 1 January | New Years' Day public holiday (closed) |
| Friday 2 January | open 8:00AM - 5:30PM (normal business hours) |
Over the 2025-2026 holiday season, WorkCover will remain open excluding weekends and official public holidays (25 and 26 December 2025 and 1 January 2026).
We will be available to manage any urgent requests and ensure payments are processed.
You can use WorkCover Connect to upload any important information. Access our WorkCover Connect Help and FAQs.
Mental health support
The holiday season can often be a tough time for people without a strong support network or with family living far away. If you have any workers who are waiting on a claim decision for a mental injury, please encourage them to access treatment as soon as possible.
While a claim for a mental injury is being assessed, workers can access certain psychological treatment funded by WorkCover to support their recovery right now. Find out more about the support on offer.
As their employer, you may also have internal resources such as an Employee Assistance Program that they may be able to access.
Additionally, for ongoing mental injury claims, please encourage your workers to continue their appointments during the holiday months of December and January.