The Australian Hotels Association WA (AHA WA) has cautioned the State Government against making Easter Saturday a public holiday, saying it could see many hospitality venues stay closed over the entire Easter long weekend.
The AHA WA’s submissions to the WA Government consultation on public holiday reform said making Easter Saturday a public holiday would disproportionately impact an industry already under financial strain. The association added that while hospitality venues are expected to stay open on public holidays, many other sectors are not.
Staying open over public holidays can be a huge burden on venues, with public holiday penalty rates reaching up to 250 per cent of base wages.
AHA WA CEO Bradley Woods said: “Not open = no pay. A public holiday without work isn’t a win. If businesses can’t afford to open, there’s no revenue and no wages to be paid to staff.”
Woods said the industry does not oppose public holidays, but the sector bares a disproportionate cost for keeping its doors open, especially when a Saturday public holiday does not bring increased visitation or revenue.
“This is not a normal Monday to Friday industry,” Woods said.
“Public holidays are when the public expects us to be open. But the cost of meeting that expectation is not shared equally across the economy.
“For hospitality businesses, particularly in regional areas and small towns, it’s a choice between operating at a loss or closing entirely.”
Woods said making Easter Saturday a public holiday would “unfairly target the very businesses that serve the public on holidays. And when those businesses close, the workers lose shifts and the public misses out”.
He added: “This isn’t about opposing holidays, it’s about ensuring that any new public holidays don’t come at the expense of jobs, businesses, or the public’s ability to enjoy the very services that holidays are meant to celebrate.”
The AHA WA said it will work with the WA Government to ensure that any changes to the State’s public holiday framework are fair, sustainable, and economically viable.