Christmas casual jobs 2026: who’s hiring and how to apply
Published on October 6, 2026
Retailers and delivery companies are already recruiting for the festive season, and hospitality venues add staff as Christmas parties and summer bookings pick up. Australia Post and StarTrack are hiring more than 3,500 seasonal workers, and Myer is recruiting Christmas casuals through to January 2027. Many Christmas casual jobs are filled well before December, so October is a good time to apply. This guide covers who’s hiring, where to find hospitality work in each capital city, the 2026 Christmas public holidays and what pay looks like.
Quick answer
- Retail, parcel delivery, warehousing and hospitality do most of the seasonal hiring
- Australia Post and StarTrack are recruiting more than 3,500 people, and their parcel processing roles don’t need previous experience
- Applying in October gives you the widest choice of roles
- Being available over December and January makes your application stand out
- Casuals get a casual loading or casual rate, and public holiday shifts usually pay more
Who is hiring for Christmas 2026
Australia Post & StarTrack
Australia Post and StarTrack are recruiting across metropolitan and regional Australia. Truck drivers and forklift operators are in highest demand, and there are also roles for parcel sorters, freight handlers and van drivers. Truck driver roles started in early September, while the other roles start from mid-October.
Victoria has the most positions with more than 1,100, followed by New South Wales and Queensland with more than 900 each. Parcel processing roles don’t need previous experience, and Australia Post says many of its long-term staff first joined in a seasonal role. Applications are open through the Australia Post website.
If you hold a truck or forklift licence, other freight companies hire for the same peak. You can browse forklift driver jobs and truck driver jobs on Workinitiatives.
Department stores & big retailers
Myer’s Christmas casual roles run from September 2026 to January 2027, covering service and selling roles plus online fulfilment at selected stores. The company is looking for people who can work across key trading periods, including weekends and peak festive dates, and you’ll need Australian work rights.
Kmart and Target advertise holiday casual roles store by store on their careers sites. These ads can close within weeks of going up, so check back regularly and apply as soon as you see a role near you. For more options, browse retail assistant jobs on Workinitiatives.
Hospitality venues
Work Christmas parties and New Year’s Eve make December one of the busiest months in hospitality, and summer holidays keep venues busy into January. Cafés look for baristas, restaurants for chefs and waiters, pubs and bars for bartenders and glassies, and hotels for room attendants and front-desk staff.
Christmas hospitality jobs by capital city
Start with the hospitality and tourism jobs page for your city, then narrow your search by role.
- Sydney: hospitality jobs in Sydney, or go straight to barista jobs in Sydney
- Melbourne: hospitality jobs in Melbourne and waiter jobs in Melbourne
- Brisbane: hospitality jobs in Brisbane and bartender jobs in Brisbane
- Perth: hospitality work in Perth and kitchen hand jobs in Perth
- Adelaide: hospitality jobs in Adelaide and chef jobs in Adelaide
- Hobart: hospitality jobs in Hobart
- Darwin: hospitality jobs in Darwin
- Canberra: hospitality jobs in Canberra
You’ll need a current Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) certificate for any role that serves alcohol. Each state and territory runs its own RSA course, so do the one for where you’ll be working. For kitchen roles, a food safety certificate makes you easier to hire.
Christmas public holidays in 2026
Christmas Day falls on a Friday this year and Boxing Day on a Saturday, so every state and territory has a public holiday on Monday 28 December. These dates come from the Fair Work Ombudsman’s 2026 public holidays list.
If you work on a public holiday, your award or agreement usually sets a higher pay rate. You’re also entitled to a day off on a public holiday. An employer can ask you to work, but you can refuse if the request isn’t reasonable or you have reasonable grounds to say no. Talk through Christmas and Boxing Day availability at the interview stage so there are no surprises when the roster comes out.
Your pay and rights as a Christmas casual
You’re a casual employee when there’s no firm advance commitment to ongoing work and you’re paid a casual loading or a specific casual rate. Casuals don’t get paid annual leave or sick leave, and the loading makes up for that. For a full comparison, read our guide to casual vs part time vs full time work.
- Your minimum pay comes from the award for your industry, such as the General Retail Industry Award or the Hospitality Industry (General) Award
- If no award covers you, the National Minimum Wage has been $26.44 an hour since 1 July 2026
- The Fair Work pay guides show casual rates for each award, including weekend and public holiday rates
- An unpaid trial is only lawful when it’s a short, supervised demonstration of your skills, from an hour up to one shift, and anything longer should be paid
If you’re on a visa, check your conditions before you accept shifts. Student visa holders can work up to 48 hours a fortnight while their course is in session, and working holiday makers can generally work for the same employer for up to six months. Visa holders have the same workplace rights as everyone else, including minimum pay.
How to land a Christmas casual job
- Apply in October, since retailers and delivery companies start recruiting in August and many roles are filled before December
- Put your availability near the top of your resume, including weekends, late nights and the days around Christmas and New Year
- Keep your resume to one page and lead with any customer service, food or warehouse experience
- Get any certificate or licence the role needs, such as an RSA or forklift licence, before you apply
- Drop your resume in person at local cafés and shops during quiet times and ask for the manager
- Follow up a week later with a short, polite message
- Treat each shift as a chance to show you’d be worth keeping on, since some employers offer ongoing work to reliable seasonal staff after the peak
Find Christmas casual jobs on Workinitiatives
Workinitiatives lists casual and seasonal roles alongside ongoing jobs, and you can filter by city and industry rather than searching several sites. Bookmark the hospitality page for your city and check it every few days through October and November for any Christmas casual jobs.
Frequently asked questions
When should I apply for Christmas casual jobs?
As early as you can. Australia Post opened applications in August and Myer’s Christmas casual roles run from September. October is a good time to apply for most retail and hospitality roles.
Which companies hire Christmas casuals?
In 2026, Australia Post and StarTrack, Myer, Kmart and Target are all advertising seasonal roles. Supermarkets, warehouses, delivery companies and hospitality venues also hire for the festive season, so check local businesses near you as well as the big names.
Do I need experience for a Christmas casual job?
Not always. Australia Post’s parcel processing roles don’t need previous experience. In retail and hospitality, being available over the busy period and showing a good attitude often matter more than a long work history.
How much do Christmas casuals get paid?
It depends on the award that covers the job. Casuals get a casual loading or casual rate on top of the base rate, and public holidays usually attract higher rates. If no award covers you, the National Minimum Wage is $26.44 an hour from 1 July 2026.
Can a Christmas casual job become permanent?
It can. Some employers offer ongoing roles to reliable seasonal staff after the peak, and Australia Post says many of its long-term staff started this way. If you stay on as a casual for at least six months, or 12 months with a small business, you may also be able to use the employee choice pathway to become permanent.
Can international students work Christmas casual jobs?
Yes, within their visa conditions. Student visa holders can work up to 48 hours a fortnight while their course is in session and unlimited hours during scheduled course breaks, which often include the summer holidays. Check your own conditions using the Department of Home Affairs VEVO service.
Sources
- Australia Post recruits 3,500 workers for Christmas peak, MHD Supply Chain
- Australia Post to hire 3,500 extra workers for Christmas, CEP Research
- Christmas casuals 2026, Myer careers
- Target careers
- 2026 public holidays, Fair Work Ombudsman
- Public holidays, Fair Work Ombudsman
- Casual employees, Fair Work Ombudsman
- Annual Wage Review 2026, Fair Work Ombudsman
- Pay guides, Fair Work Ombudsman
- General Retail Industry Award 2020 and Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020, Fair Work Commission
- Unpaid trials, Fair Work Ombudsman
- Visa holders and migrants, Fair Work Ombudsman
- Becoming a permanent employee, Fair Work Ombudsman
- Student visa (subclass 500) and Check visa details and conditions, Department of Home Affairs
