Weekend penalty rates yay or nay ?

So let me firstly say this doesn't really efffect me directly or my income as I haven't worked a paid weekend in about 15 years.I have an opinion that penalty rates for retail workers should be abolished or at least reduced . Why ? Because nowadays retail outlets who are opened on the weekends don't have the same increase in sales that they once did as there is so many other shops all doing the same thing .Back in the day if you opened a Sunday you were probably about one in 10 shops in the street open therefore if anyone wanted to shop , you had a much higher traffic flow through the door , hence you could pay the staff a higher rate , these days you simply don't make enough to pay that higher rate .I'm seeing this from a business owners perspective sure , but it's a circle that effects everyone . If there is no business's there's no workers and vice versa . Reading the online comments there only seems to be the workers perspective being seen , people need to look at the bigger picture . Business's are closing their doors at a rate of knotts and soon the only ones standing will be Woolies and Coles .

"HFK, Fair point. Sure, we could. But balancing incoming youth with experience is almost a perennial issue. A constant cycle. It never really goes away. At least not for too long. "

Replies

RIDER February 23, 2017 at 1:23pm

This is the way I look at it.

Work 38hrs a week at normal rates. Then if you are asked to work additional, it gets paid at OT rates.

Obviously night work needs a shift type allowance.

But these days there is little difference between working Saturday and having Wednesday off or working Wednesday and having Saturday off.

If you are an employee and want to dictate working days then perhaps you should start your own business and see how easy it is or is not.
- brad > RIDER February 23, 2017 at 5:00pm
  
  Rider, before you start commenting perhaps you need to understand what changed today. The people that work 38 hours throughout the week will be on overtime on a Sunday not penalty rates. Only penalty rates decreased not overtime, casuals that work on a Sunday still get 100 percent loading. What will happen is employers will activate the 7 days notice to a shift change move permanents to Sunday get the cheaper labour and back fill the positions throughout the week with casuals. if you are a small business use your own labour on a Sunday that way you don't need to pay penalty rates, oh wait on that will not work because the owner wants Sunday's off to be at home with their family's.
Enforcer Eel February 23, 2017 at 1:30pm

Problem will be that sickies and no shows will increase on weekends
- Rise of an empire > Enforcer Eel February 23, 2017 at 2:21pm
  
  I think it is ridiculous & I agree sickies on the weekends will go through the roof
- macybrown > Enforcer Eel February 23, 2017 at 5:13pm
  
  Haha well mr big w will just have to fill the shifts himself and miss out on his families fun times then I guess.
- Wizardssleeves official receipts > Enforcer Eel February 23, 2017 at 7:24pm
  
  documenting that will make it easier to dodge all the unfair laws when ya tell these people to tell their story walking .
RIDER February 23, 2017 at 1:49pm

Gol, surely if you choose to work in Retail or Hospitality (the industries this law relates too) then you must be expecting to work some weekends already.

If you cant work during the week due to family or study then working weekends is your choice. Or if working weekends is the only job you can get then you choose which is more important.
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  - RIDER February 23, 2017 at 4:00pm
    
    Ok but say you are a waiter and worked on a Wednesday for $20/hr. Do you think someone who only works on a Sunday should get $40/hr to do the same job and probably a better chance at getting tips?
    
    People always have a choice. Sometimes its the previous choices they made that have them in their current position but life is only choices.
    
    PS Penalty rates have nothing to do with base rates.
    - macybrown > RIDER February 23, 2017 at 4:57pm
      
      Omg!
      Rider, I'm not sure how it would go down with the general public if every chef or hospitality worker in Australia decided they wanted NORMAL hours, like most they have families and kids too.
      People don't often necessarily choose to work weekends...hard to believe?
      There are many people doing it tough and they just do what they can
      - RIDER > macybrown February 23, 2017 at 5:19pm
        
        Macy, if you choose to become a chef surely you know what possibly comes with that. The same as becoming a baker means really early morning starts.
        
        Im not saying that base wages for some jobs shouldnt increase and I understand that there needs to be some type of reasonable implementation for existing workers (I havent heard how its being implemented)
        
        and exactly there are people doing it tough but you do and what is best for you and your family. Im sure there are sales reps on minimum wage travelling around the country seeing less of their families than most of us but its the job they chose.
        
        Im not sure what the Omg! was about.