It’s a bank holiday – that’ll be 15% extra please!
Filed under: Cost of living, General Budgeting, Jobs & Work, Life in New Zealand
Today is Wellington Anniversary day – which means another Bank Holiday. I just love the amount of Bank Holidays we get here – almost makes up for that fact that you can’t get 5 weeks holiday from your jobs.
But why does it have to cost 15% extra if you want to eat out or grab a coffee today????
Because of something called the Holidays Act 2003.
Now – this act is a good thing. For a start it means Employees are entitled to 4 weeks holiday. Before this – they got a pathetic 2 weeks by right. Not good for a country that people emigrate to for a better quality of life.
But the act also brought into law what has to happen for staff that are required to work on a Bank Holiday. Before this – it seems it was all a bit piecemeal – with employees getting a bit of a raw deal in many cases.
The holiday acts means that employees now:
- Have to be paid Time and a Half to work on a Public Holiday
- Have to be given another day off as well, if the public holiday falls on a day when the would normally be working.
This is, as they say – “all good”. Employee rights in New Zealand in this area were in my opinion, appalling, and it needed to be changed. I mean – 2 weeks holiday??? Sheesh!
Except that some of the restaurant and café industry have decided to charge extra to their customers (usually 15%) on a public holiday to cover the increased cost of the new rules for the Public Holidays. Many other cafes and restaurants remain closed.
Which puts us, as the public, in the rather odd position of either
a/ not being able to go out for a coffee or meal on a bank holiday (usually over summer), or
b/ having to pay extra to do so.
Now – what confuses me about this – is that there is no other retail sector that asks me to pay extra today if I use their services. I don’t have to pay extra at the supermarkets, or the petrol station, or in any other store. Makes no difference if it’s a big chain, or a local independent. They all still have to follow the new rules. So why are the café trade allowed to do this???
Be aware of this. We choose not to eat out on Bank Holidays, as we do not support this charge. And besides – we have a coffee budget and an eating out budget. The 15% extra can easily blow a hole right through that. With so many people now watching the pennies – it makes it even harder to live within your means on a Holiday.
If we really want to go out – we look for cafes that do not charge extra. If a café want to slap on a surcharge – they have to tell you up front. They cannot tell you when you go to pay the bill. Most cafes will have a sign up advising you how much extra you will pay. Many restaurants have a notice on the bottom of their menus.
We have noticed in some towns not all cafes which open on a holiday charge extra. They are the ones that are heaving!
Whether or not you go out today – have a very happy Wellington Anniversary Day.
Related posts:
- Do Kiwis really have a better quality of life?
- Anniversary Weekends in New Zealand – I’m off to the beach.
- What on Earth is ASB Bank playing at?
Comments
Tell me what you're thinking...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!
Avalon’s Guide On Facebook
-
