Insignia Financial has joined the likes of Medibank, REA Group and Telstra in giving employees the option of swapping public holidays, such as Australia Day and Christmas Day, for alternative days off.

The entitlement – which runs counter to Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s election promise to force councils to hold citizenship ceremonies on January 26 – has become more widely available over the past few years as employers with large workforces give their staff more choice over which national holidays to celebrate.