Sydney business owner hits out at public holiday

The owner of a popular beauty salon in Sydney’s eastern suburbs has questioned the impact of a public holiday on small businesses.

The owner of a popular Sydney beauty salon has slammed the government’s decision to instate an extra public holiday, claiming it will cause chaos for small businesses.

Natalie Ferrari, who owns The Parlour Room at Clovelly in the eastern suburbs, took to Instagram on Monday to air her concern.

The National Day of Mourning will fall on Thursday, September 22, which Ms Ferrari said is the busiest day of the week for her business.

“As if the current situation for small businesses wasn’t bad enough, now they want to throw a public holiday into the mix … on the busiest day of the week for appointments, too,” she wrote.

“Now we’re forced to pay double rates to our staff or cancel clients who we have nowhere to reschedule to, as we are so incredibly understaffed as is.

“Either way, it will be a cost that yet again we are just left to wear. I’m angry, and I’m over it.”

But despite her upset, Ms Ferrari told NCA NewsWire she “fully supports setting a day aside for Australians to mourn and pay their respects to the Queen”.

“For us we can’t just close our doors, we have a lot of bridal groups and clients who have appointments for important events on the weekend who we do not want to let down and upset by cancelling,” she said.

“We are understaffed we cannot reschedule them to another day during the week. Staying open of course we will do the right thing and pay the higher rates to our staff.”

Sydney business owner Natalie Ferrari spoke out about the public holiday.

In NSW, shops and retailers in the state can trade as they normally would on such public holidays and schoolchildren will also get the day off.

Pubs and restaurants can also operate, as the commemoration will not be a “restricted trading day” such as Good Friday or Anzac Day.

However, banks and other financial institutions are expected to be closed in the state.

Elective surgery is expected to go ahead as usual.

Crucially for small businesses like Ms Ferrari’s, they will have to pay staff sizeable public holiday penalty rates in order to operate.

Australian Retailers Association chief executive Paul Zahra said the public holiday would “create some complications” for staff and bosses across the country.

“There will also be a small but unexpected loss of trade and additional staffing costs, which may impact cashflows for small businesses,” he said.

“Store opening and closing directions are typically established by the states and territories, and we look forward to their direction today so retailers can plan accordingly.”

The reason behind the holiday’s timing is Mr Albanese and Governor-General David Hurley not returning from London after the Queen’s funeral until Wednesday, September 21.

The Queen’s funeral will take place on Monday, September 19.