HR expert says businesses should encourage Anzac Day-style four-day weekends when dates align

The 2023 calendar has meant Anzac Day falls on a Tuesday this year and, as always, the mid-week public holiday means an extra-long weekend for many Australians.

Maybe they’ve applied for annual leave in advance, maybe they’ve called in sick, maybe something in between.

Tahnee McWhirter, partner at human resources consultancy HumanX HR, encourages business leaders to embrace the extra day off as an opportunity.

“Smart employers will jump on the chance to help the team plan for that and maximise their holiday time.”

Planning and co-designing

“It’s being proactive,” said McWhirter. “It shows that you’ve got your finger on the pulse, and you’ve shifted your mindset from ‘annual leave is something to be earned’ to ‘let’s co-design this as a tool to help you get some balance and enjoy life as well as work’.”

It’s hard to know just how many Aussies have dropped working the day before ANZAC Day but if social media sentiment is anything to go by, it’s quite a few.

Isn't it just accepted now in Australia that when a public holiday falls on a Thursday or a Tuesday that absolutely nothing of note will get done on the Friday / Monday?

— Tim Byrne (@TByrne75) April