KPMG Australia will keep its offices closed for two more days over Christmas and New Year, and employees and partners will have to use ten days of annual leave to cover the closure, according to an email to staff seen by The Aussie Corporate.
The firm had planned to close from 5pm on Tuesday 22 December and reopen on Thursday 7 January. That closure "would have required employees and Partners to take eight days of annual leave", the email says. The firm "will now reopen on Monday 11 January 2027 (with a closure period from 23 December 2026 to 10 January 2027, inclusive)". The two extra working days are Thursday 7 and Friday 8 January.
"This means employees and Partners will be required to take a total of ten days of annual leave during this period," the email says.
The email gives two reasons. The firm had "considered anticipated client demand and business activity over the holiday period" and was "recognising that January is always a quieter month".
"We recognise that annual leave is personal and that many people may already have made plans based on our earlier communication," it says. The email says there are "a few options available" for people who don't have enough annual leave to cover the closure. The part of the email seen by The Aussie Corporate does not list them.
The email does not mention the federal government work ban.
The ban and the job cuts
KPMG's pause on new federal government work runs to 28 February 2027, under an agreement set out in a Department of Finance procurement policy note. In August the firm said it would reduce its workforce by about 5 per cent, 27 partners and around 360 employees, mostly in Consulting and Business Services, its results release said. The Canberra Times reported on 23 October that the firm had not set a redundancy target or made a decision on a second round. We covered the extended ban earlier this week.
What the rules say
The Fair Work Ombudsman says an employer can require employees who aren't covered by an award or enterprise agreement "to take paid annual leave if the requirement is reasonable", including when the business shuts down temporarily between Christmas and New Year, its shutdown page says. Staff on an award or enterprise agreement should check its shutdown rules. Our guide Can your employer make you take annual leave over Christmas? covers notice, short leave balances and what to ask before the closure.
The tip that started this story is on our Inside Track. If something in this story is wrong, tell us through our corrections form.
