The totally off-topic thread

[froggerADL]

I think you'll find a lot of places in Melbourne shut this weekend as employers are unwilling to pay around $40 plus per hour in wages.....

I earn more than $40 per hour every hour I work so I don't really mind if hospitality workers who work on public holidays & weekends get that. I'm also happy to pay a surcharge.

 

[Captain Halliday]

A few years back the law in Queensland was changed banning public holiday surcharges.

What they didn't tell the public, but that restaurants and bar owners quickly worked out was that if you printed a second set of menus which all had prices set 20% higher you could still make that additional profit a few days per year.

 

[amaroo]

I think you'll find a lot of places in Melbourne shut this weekend as employers are unwilling to pay around $40 plus per hour in wages.....

Indeed. Most places up here are closed, X% penalty rate on nothing = nothing! These days you can include Sundays as another nothing day....

 

[JohnK]

....grumble... maybe I need a new job?

Or time to retire?

I have paid more than enough tax this lifetime.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Australia is really stupid sometimes. I went out for lunch today, only to find a large number of places closed... And then those places that were open were charging a public holiday surcharge of between 10% and 20%.

What's more - the entire 4 days of this weekend are now regarded as a public holiday, so I expect many restaurants, bars, pubs and clubs to continue to charge these surcharges all weekend.


...I suddenly remember why I have been overseas for this weekend for better part of the ...

grumble... maybe I need a new job?

Well, you don't have to pay the 25% plus tip as in US restaurants so I think you are generally well off! Alternatively, take a new job in hospitality maybe?

 

[whatmeworry]

Australia is really stupid sometimes. I went out for lunch today, only to find a large number of places closed... And then those places that were open were charging a public holiday surcharge of between 10% and 20%.

What's more - the entire 4 days of this weekend are now regarded as a public holiday, so I expect many restaurants, bars, pubs and clubs to continue to charge these surcharges all weekend.


...I suddenly remember why I have been overseas for this weekend for better part of the past decade.



I understand that some people celebrate the religious holiday, and a whole lot more people are tired, and need a break... But penalty rates are a relic IMHO. The young retail and hospitality workers paying their way through university must love it, but for us regular "working stiffs" it doesn't make any sense.

I work, or am on call, every day of the year. I work a lot more than the regular 37-40 hours, and I never get paid any extra... and my lunch is suddenly 20% more expensive for the privilege of working in a mostly empty office on a public holiday.

grumble... maybe I need a new job?

You are on a salary, they are on award rates. Take away these penalty rates some would struggle to survive and some people under 21 wouldn't even get work on weekends if it wasn't for the fact those under 21 get paid less. Your not advocating we go down the path of the USA and have the poor working 2 or 3 jobs to get by?

 

[whatmeworry]

Indeed. Most places up here are closed, X% penalty rate on nothing = nothing! These days you can include Sundays as another nothing day....

If you can't pay penalty rates, your probably not a viable business. Just remember trading was more restricted on public holidays, Saturdays and Sundays. The trade off to trade on these days was penalty rates.
Just remember the people working on these days are getting compensated for not being with their loved ones.

 

[Flashback]

Everything open here today, even down in Cornwall. Supermarkets open 24 hours too ergo booze also. Stark contrast to Perth... :shock:

 

[cove]

Unwinding the penalty rates system on working weekends will happen but I don't think anyone can predict when it will happen. Good Friday and Christmas Day probably will not change but it will be more likely that the rest of the years holidays as well as grave yard shifts will carry a modest surcharge. Without these changes Australia will continue to sink in economic terms with many businesses unable to trade on those days.
One person I know was working yesterday and I think his surcharged hourly rate could have been in triple figures.

 

[medhead]

Australia is really stupid sometimes. I went out for lunch today, only to find a large number of places closed... And then those places that were open were charging a public holiday surcharge of between 10% and 20%.

What's more - the entire 4 days of this weekend are now regarded as a public holiday, so I expect many restaurants, bars, pubs and clubs to continue to charge these surcharges all weekend.


...I suddenly remember why I have been overseas for this weekend for better part of the past decade.



I understand that some people celebrate the religious holiday, and a whole lot more people are tired, and need a break... But penalty rates are a relic IMHO. The young retail and hospitality workers paying their way through university must love it, but for us regular "working stiffs" it doesn't make any sense.

I work, or am on call, every day of the year. I work a lot more than the regular 37-40 hours, and I never get paid any extra... and my lunch is suddenly 20% more expensive for the privilege of working in a mostly empty office on a public holiday.

grumble... maybe I need a new job?

I'm willing to bet you get paid a whole lot more than $18 an hour every day of the year.

BTW good Friday = fish and chips shops are the go.

 

[medhead]

Unwinding the penalty rates system on working weekends will happen but I don't think anyone can predict when it will happen. Good Friday and Christmas Day probably will not change but it will be more likely that the rest of the years holidays as well as grave yard shifts will carry a modest surcharge. Without these changes Australia will continue to sink in economic terms with many businesses unable to trade on those days.
One person I know was working yesterday and I think his surcharged hourly rate could have been in triple figures.

Hahaha. Yeah but our economic situation is all because shops don't open in Sunday. Nothing to do with a dying manufacturing sector or a government with a complete lack of vision. Nor a tax system that has money going around in circles.

 

[Rugby]

Hahaha. Yeah but our economic situation is all because shops don't open in Sunday. Nothing to do with a dying manufacturing sector or a government with a complete lack of vision. Nor a tax system that has money going around in circles.

A long weekend topic du jour. I knew we had a long weekend coming up because Kate Carnell was debating Jed Carney on Thursday re penalty rates. A regular event on the lobbyist calendar.

 

[OATEK]

Putting aside the haves and have nots, the salaried vs $ph worker issues, Sunday and public holiday trading in service sectors is in decline. There are places where one of the main costs is wages that do not open on Sundays, and yet they still have to pay rent. Or others that rely on family members to open up on these days. Penalty rates are a large part of the cause, and it seems to me the age old conundrum of either losing conditions or losing jobs is not an easy one to resolve but it does seem that this is increasingly the issue for many small businesses.

While estimates vary between ABS, the Productivity Commission, state government agencies and lobby groups, it is estimated that there are over 1,000,000 small businesses Australia, and for many of these penalty rates are crucial to their future economic viability. It is easy to say that business that can't afford the $50+ p.h. are not healthy, until you work in one or own one. Yes there are many other things to fix, but ending the tax dodges of multi-national firms for example, while important to do, will not make small coffee shops, cafes and mixed-businesses etc more likely to survive.

 

[Rugby]

Great headline

Mittagong's Rowany medieval festival participants feel the need, the need for mead | smh.com.au

 

[PLANT]

Hackert 3rd.... Stillnox shares just went up! :O

 

[ellen10]

Went for a walk yesterday down by our harbour.
We were surprised to see many places open and doing a thriving business.
It was good to see many students we know working and they were very happy to get the shifts. Yes they are cheaper because under 21, but the service was excellent.

 

[cove]

Our wait for fish and chips last night was almost 90 minutes and we turned up at 5.15 PM. Next year we may have to get there a lot earlier.

 

[Rugby]

Shute Shield game on 7mate this afternoon for NSW viewers is Manly v Easts at Woollahra - it's going to be an absolute mud pie festival with all this rain - fantastic

 

[TomVexille]

Shute Shield game on 7mate this afternoon for NSW viewers is Manly v Easts at Woollahra - it's going to be an absolute mud pie festival with all this rain - fantastic

One for the forwards to enjoy

 

[rogerkambah]

Sounds good, as long as it's not at the back of the bus.

Must remember not to sit at the back of Buzz's bus next w/e. (esp after the evening on Currie.)