The sanctity of Sunday surcharges

It costs cafes, hair salons etc etc TWICE as much to have staff working on Sundays!! even though this may be part of the staff member’s normal working week. The cafes, restaurants, hair salons etc, have no choice but to pass on the wage cost unless they make enough money to absorb those costs.

Mysteryman said :

1967 said :

I have no problems with paying a surcharge on Sundays and Public Holidays.
It seems fair enough to me that if the manager / owner is paying his staff penalty rates then I, as the consumer and ultimatly the reason these people are working, should contribute.

However……

Some years ago, I ended up in a very heated argument with the manager of a fast food outlet and ended up leaving without my pizzas and garlic bread, vowing never to darken his doorstep again.

It was the Saturday after Good Friday, and a surcharge had been applied to my bill.
Being a wage earner myself I was well aware that Saturday was not, in fact, a public holiday.
I questioned the kid on the counter and he told me that was the status quo for Easter Saturday.
I then asked him if he was being paid penalty rates for the days work.
He didn’t know.
I asked to see the manager, and when I suggested to him that his employees should be getting penalty rates he actually laughed at me.
It all went down hill from there but I could see the staff thinking thias over as I left.

Sorry to go a little off topic, but I think it’s important.
Cheers.

I’d have done the same thing.

Do public servants still get paid overtime?

1967 said :

I have no problems with paying a surcharge on Sundays and Public Holidays.
It seems fair enough to me that if the manager / owner is paying his staff penalty rates then I, as the consumer and ultimatly the reason these people are working, should contribute.

However……

Some years ago, I ended up in a very heated argument with the manager of a fast food outlet and ended up leaving without my pizzas and garlic bread, vowing never to darken his doorstep again.

It was the Saturday after Good Friday, and a surcharge had been applied to my bill.
Being a wage earner myself I was well aware that Saturday was not, in fact, a public holiday.
I questioned the kid on the counter and he told me that was the status quo for Easter Saturday.
I then asked him if he was being paid penalty rates for the days work.
He didn’t know.
I asked to see the manager, and when I suggested to him that his employees should be getting penalty rates he actually laughed at me.
It all went down hill from there but I could see the staff thinking thias over as I left.

Sorry to go a little off topic, but I think it’s important.
Cheers.

Easter Saturday is, and has been, a public holiday for years

http://australia.gov.au/topics/australian-facts-and-figures/public-holidays

Are penalty rates actually a big thing for retail stores?

How much more would a retail store have to charge to cover penalty rates?

I don’t run a retail store, so I have no idea. Without answer to those questions it’s hard to form an opinion. For the moment I’ll stick to, “the customer should be made aware of surcharges before considering a purchase”.

For example if I stumble into Officeworks on a Sunday morning because I want a new notepad before heading out on a photographic expedition, I’d be comfortable with an A-frame inside the front door notifying me, “Sunday Surcharge 10%”. I need the item today, and I’m aware of penalty rates (thank you, several decades of union negotiations!), so I’ll pay the surcharge (and remind myself to stock up during the week before I need the item, next time).

As long as I’m warned before I start thinking about what I’m going to buy (because I only have $20 in my pocket, I won’t be able to afford that $20 notepad), I’m comfortable.

1967 said :

I have no problems with paying a surcharge on Sundays and Public Holidays.
It seems fair enough to me that if the manager / owner is paying his staff penalty rates then I, as the consumer and ultimatly the reason these people are working, should contribute.

However……

Some years ago, I ended up in a very heated argument with the manager of a fast food outlet and ended up leaving without my pizzas and garlic bread, vowing never to darken his doorstep again.

It was the Saturday after Good Friday, and a surcharge had been applied to my bill.
Being a wage earner myself I was well aware that Saturday was not, in fact, a public holiday.
I questioned the kid on the counter and he told me that was the status quo for Easter Saturday.
I then asked him if he was being paid penalty rates for the days work.
He didn’t know.
I asked to see the manager, and when I suggested to him that his employees should be getting penalty rates he actually laughed at me.
It all went down hill from there but I could see the staff thinking thias over as I left.

Sorry to go a little off topic, but I think it’s important.
Cheers.

I’d have done the same thing.

Sundays are probably many cafes busiest days of the week. I’m pretty certain that majority of cafe owners don’t earn extravagant amounts of money and most rarely take time off. As long as you know their is a surcharge either by it being on the front of the menu in reasonable size print and also by the till if its a pay before you seat type place then you have the information to decide whether to eat there or not. I think extortionate “cakeage” fees are more of a rort.

Even getting rid of penalty rates won’t help much, just shift the issue elsewhere, like inability to hire people to work weekends and public holidays.

I have no problems with paying a surcharge on Sundays and Public Holidays.
It seems fair enough to me that if the manager / owner is paying his staff penalty rates then I, as the consumer and ultimatly the reason these people are working, should contribute.

However……

Some years ago, I ended up in a very heated argument with the manager of a fast food outlet and ended up leaving without my pizzas and garlic bread, vowing never to darken his doorstep again.

It was the Saturday after Good Friday, and a surcharge had been applied to my bill.
Being a wage earner myself I was well aware that Saturday was not, in fact, a public holiday.
I questioned the kid on the counter and he told me that was the status quo for Easter Saturday.
I then asked him if he was being paid penalty rates for the days work.
He didn’t know.
I asked to see the manager, and when I suggested to him that his employees should be getting penalty rates he actually laughed at me.
It all went down hill from there but I could see the staff thinking thias over as I left.

Sorry to go a little off topic, but I think it’s important.
Cheers.

dkNigs said :

If you’re hungry and the food looks good, are you really going to leave, go home, order food online and wait a few days? They’ve got it in the bag.

If I’m hungry and the food looks good, I am still going to get up and leave the minute I find out they have a Sunday surcharge. There will be somewhere else nearby (ideally within site of said eatery) where I can get a feed without being gauged for an extra 10%-20%. My feet WILL do the talking every time.

Surcharge takes care of the tip.

Madam Cholet said :

Bosworth said :

are these surcharges legal?

I thought the menu had to state that there was a surcharge but that the menu prices actually had to include the surcharge rather than it being whacked on at the till which might take you by surprise. So in essence it had to be a special Sunday menu.

It was previously the case that cafes and restaurants could not apply a percentage based surcharge and had to either have a flat rate surcharge (eg. $5 Sunday loading per bill) or a different menu that showed the increased price per individual item. As per my previous comment, legislation was passed in June 2013 that made changes to federal competition law for hospitality businesses to charge a percentage based surcharge as opposed to having a different “weekend menu”. If you want to read more, google the Competition and Consumer Amendment Bill 2013, it is a riveting read.