An obscure agreement struck by state governments in 1993 means the vast majority of Australians will not get a day off this Anzac weekend . Under the pact , no public holiday is triggered when Anzac Day falls on a Saturday , as it does this year . The agreement was designed to provide uniformity of public holidays across the nation . That makes Anzac Day the exception when it comes to public holidays . If Easter , Christmas , Australia Day , the Queen 's Birthday or Labour Day fall on a weekend , a holiday is granted on a weekday . Scroll down for video . Bosses in some states have been warned to expect a rise in employees calling in sick this Monday due to the lack of an Anzac Day public holiday . But the rules do not apply to everyone , it seems . Western Australia and some public servants in Canberra have decided to go it alone and will get Monday off . The head of the Immgration Department declared Monday a public holiday for 8,500 staff , but other departments such as the Australian Taxation Office and Defence will have to turn up to work . For the rest of the country , it 's back to work on Monday . The decision not to grant the holiday has been condemned by some groups and human resources expert Paul Dundon warned there would be a big jump in employees calling in sick because they feel 'entitled ' to the day off , reports Courier Mail . 'Employees will feel aggrieved by not having a day off , Australians have an entitlement mentality , ' said Mr Dundon , the boss of Direct Health Solutions . 'They 're missing out and people want their fair share . ' Mr Dundon said bosses should expect a 20 per cent-25 per cent rise in absenteeism on Monday 27 . In turn , some businesses have notified staff that if they they fake a sick day , they risk losing their job . In Queensland alone , losses to businesses are estimated at more than $ 7.5 million if an expected 20,000 workers call in sick . The anniversary of the landing on Gallipoli has fallen on a Saturday this year , meaning all states but WA will miss out on holiday on Monday . Australian state governments came together for a Council of Australian Governments meeting in 1993 to try and make public holidays consistent across the nation . The reason was to avoid 'costs and disruption for business ' that occurred when every state had different laws . The states agreed that when Christmas Day , Boxing Day and New Year ’ s Day fell on a weekend , a public holiday the next working day would be triggered . It was decided that a public holiday for Anzac Day would only be triggered if it fell on a Monday . Good Friday , Easter Saturday and Easter Monday would continue to be observed on the days set according to tradition across the nation . In NSW , the Greens called on Premier Mike Baird to give workers Monday off , claiming the government has the power to grant an additional holiday under the Public Holidays Act . But NSW Business Chamber chief officer Stephen Cartwright told The Sydney Morning Herald there is no need for another holiday . 'Anzac Day is a very special day for Australians as it commemorates the landings at Gallipoli on April 25 , 1915 , and we rightly pause and take time to reflect on that day , whatever day of the week it happens to fall on each year , ' he said . Punters playing traditional Australian Anzac Day gambling game two-up : NSW Business Chamber officer Stephen Cartwright said there is no need for an additional holiday on for Anzac Day . The last time Anzac Day fell on a Saturday was 2009 , and before that in 1987 , 1992 and 1998 . A survey released last year by Direct Health Solutions found Australian employees took on average of 10 sick days per year . It estimated that Australia experiences an annual cost of $ 33 billion in lost productivity from sick days .
There is no Anzac Day holiday for most states as it falls on a Saturday . The Australian government has been criticised by the Greens and Labor over its decision to hold an official commemoration of Australia's war dead.