Queensland May Soon Score a New Part-Day Public Holiday
It's great news if you're usually stuck working on Christmas Eve.
When Christmas Eve hits, most of us are already feeling the festive spirit. If you work in retail or hospitality, however, you might have to press pause on your merriment until your shift is over. Even worse — while the majority of folks are getting into the swing of seasonal celebrations, those left serving food and drinks, manning store counters and just working in general aren't being compensated more than their usual rates.
Following in the footsteps South Australia and the Northern Territory, the Queensland Government is proposing a solution: turning Christfmas Eve into a public holiday. Well, turning part of December 24 into a public holiday, at least. Their plan would see penalty rates come into effect once 6pm hits, meaning anyone left working when it's literally the evening before Christmas would be paid accordingly.
If that's you, don't go spending that potential extra cash just yet. At the moment, the idea is open for public consultation to weigh up the broader benefits and costs, with Queenslanders able to submit their thoughts on the move until 4pm on Monday, September 2.
If the part-day public holiday receives community support, it could even apply this Christmas. Affected workers would receive penalty rates of up to 250 percent of their normal wages, as well as the option not to work, where reasonable.
For further information about the proposed Christmas Eve public holiday, or to submit your feedback, visit the Queensland Government Industrial Relations website.
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