Rostered day off
A rostered day off is a day in an employee's work schedule when they are not required to work. This day off can be either paid or unpaid, depending on the terms of the relevant award or agreement.
In work schedules, a rostered day off is a designated day when an employee is not expected to come to work. It's part of the work roster and can be a regular feature of the schedule. The payment for this day off is determined by the employee's award or workplace agreement – some rostered days off are paid, while others are not.
How rostered days off accrue
Under many awards, a full-time employee can work a 38-hour week averaged over a roster cycle by working slightly longer days and accruing time towards a paid rostered day off (RDO). A common pattern is 8 hours a day for 19 days, with the 20th day off paid from the 0.4 hours accrued each working day. An RDO is different from an ordinary day off between shifts on a roster. For example, in the building and construction industry, RDOs are often set by an industry calendar.
Read our guide to modern awards.
General information only
This content is general information about Australian employment law, current at the date it was last reviewed. It does not take your circumstances into account and is not legal advice. For advice about your situation, call Employment Compass on 1300 144 002.
Last reviewed: October 2026
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