Additional Boxing Day public holiday a reward for workers, but a ‘cost burden’ for businesses

A move that will see employees pocket penalty rates on an extra day this year has been welcomed by some pubs, but the NT’s largest employer association has hit out at the announcement.

A MOVE that will see employees pocket penalty rates on an extra day this year has been welcomed by the hospitality group operating some of Darwin’s most popular watering holes.

Australian Venue Co., the owner of Monsoons, Shenannigans and Smith St Social, said designating Boxing Day as a public holiday on top of the already-declared replacement public holiday on December 28 was a great way to recognise their team after such a “busy and weird” year.

“We’re Territory-proud, so to be able to reward our staff with a little bit of extra cash in their wallet – we’re totally for it,” said Venue Co.’s NT and Queensland regional marketing manager Carly Balding.

The announcement, made on Tuesday by Public Employment Minister Paul Kirby, will see thousands of frontline workers take home up to two-and-a-half times the award rate on several days over the holiday period.

With the additional day announced, employees will now bank penalty rates working anytime from 7pm Friday, December 24 until Tuesday, December 28, and then again on Friday, December 31 from 7pm, January 1 and 3.

Monsoons duty manager Amber Amphlett and bartender Sarah Unsworth are happy to be rewarded for their hard work on a day most people rest. Picture: Floss Adams.

But Chamber of Commerce NT chief executive Greg Ireland said the designation of public holidays for December 26 and 28 was akin to “double dipping”, warning that small businesses will be hit the hardest.

“It’s a bit like having a Christmas cake and eating it too,” Mr Ireland said.

“It’s putting an additional cost burden on businesses already having a pretty tough time with things at the moment. Not withstanding, hopefully you’d expect them to have a fairly substantial trade over that time.

“But I’m hearing that businesses will potentially either not open because it’s pushing them past the point of being profitable or the business owners will take on the shifts themselves to avoid paying the penalty rates.”

Mr Ireland said the practice of announcing the additional public holiday just weeks out from the date was unhelpful for struggling businesses and should instead be done when the rest of the Territory’s public holidays are set each year.