Yahoo Finance Christmas Eve holiday could cost $411 million, employer group warns
A proposed Christmas Eve part-day public holiday in Queensland could come at a cost of up to $410.7 million, a major Australian business group has argued.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk proposed the holiday as a way to make sure workers who work on the evening of 24 December are appropriately compensated for their time by receiving public holiday rates.
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In a submission to the state government, Australian Industry (Ai) Group said the part-day holiday was “costly and unfair” and would carry a price-tag of between $123.9 million to $410.7 million in employment costs alone.
“A further unnecessary holiday in Queensland would add to the disjointed and uncoordinated way in which State Governments are blithely declaring new public holidays and it undermines the sense that we have a national economy,” said Ai Group chief executive, Innes Willox.
“Taking from business to pay for politically popular measures is both costly and unfair and amounts to robbing Peter to pay Paul. This has never been a sensible approach to public policy.”
Willox said making 6pm-12am on 24 December a public holiday imposes extra costs on businesses that can’t close on Christmas Eve.
While the Queensland government estimates the change would give the average hospitality worker an extra $146 for working that evening, and cost between $41.3 million and $136.9 million in wages, Ai Group’s upper estimate of $410.7 million is more than triple that.
“The government’s reported argument that cafes will be able recoup the cost by charging customers a public holiday surcharge, fails to recognise that most of the businesses that will be impacted are not cafes and most impacted businesses will be unable to recoup the cost through a surcharge,” Willox said.
“Many businesses in the manufacturing, health, transport, aviation, emergency services, energy, IT, maintenance services, telecommunications, accommodation services and numerous other industries need to operate on a 24 hour / 7 day a week basis due to the nature of their operations.”
And, he added, while cafes and restaurants can add a public holiday surcharge, it’s unlikely they’ll be willing to impose a “holiday tax” on their customers.
However, Palaszczuk has argued that workers “have the right to have Christmas Eve off”, as that night is often just as important to families as Christmas Day is itself.
“It’s a very special time for family and friends as well as communities and churches to come together.”
“Many Queenslanders though, do have to work Christmas Eve and the change would ensure proper compensation for them,” Palaszczuk said.
South Australia and the Northern Territory currently consider 7pm - midnight on 24 December to be a public holiday.
