It is good to see several employer associations getting coverage for a concerted push on Sunday penalty rates. Years ago, when Sunday trading was the exception rather than the rule, it was a penalty to have to work.
Today, in the world of seven day trading,rates of $35 and hour and more for people who often can only work on a Sunday are untenable, especially in businesses where retailers are unable to charge a penalty to shoppers for using the service.
Regulators need to understand that deregulation has consequences. Deregulating Sunday trading could only ever lead to the elimination of penalty rates on this day. Anything less makes retail business owners financially responsible for poor social policy.
Click here to see the submissions received by Fair Work Australia on this.
Very true mark. The way it is going newsagencies really need to have a look at the business concerning Sunday trading.
We had thought long and hard about out Sunday trading and decided at the beginning of October to close. After spending 7 years of going to work on a sunday and barely turning a profit it was time to try it. We are finding it truly amazing to have some sort of work/life balance after so many years. Being in a shopping centre probably made the decision a little easier because people can still get a Sunday paper at the supermarket and the bakery has picked up the slack for the early morning paper buyer. There is so many other benefits to doing this and am happy to share my experience with anybody who asks.
Cheers
Al
Allan, have any lost sales moved to another day? We can do respectable figures on a Sunday (usually similar to a Tuesday) so I don’t know if this is viable for us.
Brendan, because of the recent Oz jackpot activity it is a little hard to gauge the difference for our Monday trade but I am seeing the regular lotto players from Sunday now on a Monday.
Nirvana would be for all Sunday trading to stop and customers make do with late night shopping and all day Saturday. Only we mugs who do 7 days would have trouble with that arrangement and I’d prefer the day off. Just depends on the weekly and monthly takings maintaining the same levels….which they should.
We tried Sunday trading for a year, we took on the last day pretty much what we took on the first day. My day off was assessed as being more valuable to the family, AND the resale value of the business than the trade.
Brendan I agree we don’t need Sunday trading, or even Thursday night.
Are people so bored that all they know to do any more is go shopping?
And I believe the weekly takings would be much the same.
Isn’t that’s what convenience stores are for!
Hear Hear. Sunday trading is a 20th century activity. Nowadays, with the internett etc., people have so many other shopping opportunities in their own time. They can shop online on Sunday afternoons with businesses that employ people only at Monday to Friday rates. Why beat your head against a wall of bricks. Just give up on Sundays. Get some homelife learn to know your family again. Even at normal rates we would struggle to make money on Sundays so we’re not interested either way.