Rostered Day Off (RDO)
Definition of Rostered Day Off (RDO)
A rostered day off (RDO) is a paid day off work. In most cases, RDO entitlements are accrued by working slightly longer ordinary hours across a roster cycle.
What it means in practice
Not every worker receives RDOs. Whether you are entitled to them depends on the modern award or enterprise agreement that covers your job and the particular arrangements in your workplace.
An RDO lets you take a paid day off. Historically (and in most cases) an RDO will accrue on the basis of working additional ordinary hours over a set period.
Instead of being paid overtime, you work a small number of additional hours each week. These hours build up until you have enough for a paid day off. Your employer cannot simply decide to give you an RDO unless it is provided for under your workplace agreement.
How RDOs accrue
RDOs usually accrue as you work slightly longer ordinary hours over a roster cycle. If you are entitled to RDOs, the award or enterprise agreement you’re on will provide the basis for and rate of RDO accrual.
For example,
You may work eight hours each day but only be paid for 7.6 ordinary hours. The extra 24 minutes each day is banked towards a paid day off.
Over a standard five-day week, you would bank:
- 24 minutes × 5 days = 2 hours per week
To earn a full 7.6-hour RDO, you would need to bank:
- 7.6 hours ÷ 2 hours per week = 3.8 weeks
In practice, this is usually rounded into one of two common roster arrangements set by the applicable award or enterprise agreement:
- One RDO every four weeks (often called a 19-day month), or
- One RDO every two weeks (a 9-day fortnight) where a different daily accrual arrangement is used.
When an RDO falls on a public holiday
What happens if your RDO falls on a public holiday also depends on your modern award or enterprise agreement.
In some workplaces, you may be able to take your RDO on a different day.
- Read the Public Holidays factsheet for more information about your workplace rights.
RDOs by state and industry
RDO arrangements vary between industries and workplace agreements. They are most common for tradies and workers in industries such as construction and manufacturing.
RDOs are also more common in New South Wales and Victoria, where many workplaces have roster systems that include regular RDOs.
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RDO versus annual leave, TOIL and banked hours
An RDO is different from annual leave because you earn it by working additional ordinary hours under your workplace agreement.
An RDO is also different from time off in lieu (TOIL). TOIL is time off instead of receiving overtime pay, while an RDO usually comes from working additional hours as part of your normal roster.
- Learn more about Time Off in Lieu (TOIL).
Where your RDO entitlement is set
Your modern award or enterprise agreement sets the rules for how RDOs build up, when you can take them, and any other conditions that apply. Check your modern award to find the rules that apply to your workplace.
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