Lest we forget the brave men and women who served and continue to serve our lucky country this Anzac Day. With Anzac Day, Easter, and for some states, Labour Day occurring within weeks of one another this year, the topic of public holiday surcharges has reached the public domain.
As a gentle reminder, under law businesses are at liberty to choose whether or not to operate on a public holiday, and if you choose to open, you are also at liberty to determine your own surcharges. We know that business owners are a savvy bunch and that any surcharge put forward on a public holiday is done with careful consideration of your customers and your workers.
However, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)ACCC requires businesses to clearly and prominently display this surcharge clearly and prominently before customers enter a transaction. Whilst this has become the norm of public holiday trading, consumers are rather sensitive to price increases at the moment with the myriad of economic influences tightening their purse strings. So, if you are operating this Labour Day, the right thing to do is keep your customers informed of any additional costs.
Entering its fourth year, NRA Legal’s Workplace Investigations Masterclass is back for another unmissable workshop covering the practical skills needed to conduct a fair investigation into alleged misconduct. When allegations of misconduct arise, it can be distressing for all parties involved and calls for a measured response. A hefty fee to engage a third-party investigator for a lengthy period to find a resolution is simply not an option for many small operators. With this in mind, the Workplace Investigations Masterclass has been developed to equip managers, business owners, and HR professionals with what to do in sensitive situations to ensure fairness in line with the Fair Work Commission.
Purchase a ticket to register now to ensure you don’t miss this essential opportunity to upskill on identifying inappropriate behaviour, effective interviewing techniques and assessing witness credibility.
Ahead of the Fair Work Commission’s annual wage review submissions closing next month, I strongly encourage you to take part in our Increase to Wages member survey. This short, anonymous survey is your opportunity to share your perspective on increases to the minimum wage and pay rates and how it will affect your business and the retail sector. This information will frame our final submissions we make to the Commission, and ultimately influence the growth of wages in the coming year. Have your say by Friday 5 May by taking the survey here.
Lastly, World Retail Congress is taking place as I write this. This year Deputy CEO and Director of Legal Lindsay Carroll has made the journey to Barcelona to convene with retail leaders from around the world on the theme of Retail Leadership for Extraordinary Times. This evening at 9:30PM AEST, or 1:30PM Barcelona time, Lindsay will take the stage as chair for a discussion on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion with a panel of company leaders from Victoria’s Secret, Greyston Bakery, KultraLab and McCarthy Tétrault LLP.
A topic we delve into often at the NRA, DEI has experienced a significant shift in the last decade. Lindsay and the panelists will share leaders’ perspectives and the lived experiences of the broader workforce, and unearth sustainable strategies for retailers to enact.
We look forward to reporting back to you next week on the happenings at WRC.
Have a great week.