This week,apart from the budget,all the talk has been about next years family day. The newspapers are full of interviews from ecstatic parents detailing how they can hardly wait to spend an extra day off with their families.
Turns out a lot of them might not have to wait until next February to achieve that goal.
It will cost a small business a small business with 5 employees $1135 if they stay open and pay those employees to work that day.( Time and a half on a statutory holiday accounts for that) .
If they close, the cost will vary dependent upon what those employees normally get paid but it is still a significant increase to the bottom line.
What is a business to do? Apparently a lot!
I have had several calls from clients in the last week advising their full-time hours have been cut back to part-time hours. Those same people advise at the same time their places of work have added new part-time employees.
I broached this topic at this weeks Chamber of Commerce meeting with several business owners I converse on a regular basis with and the consensus was that a lot of business are streamlining and doing just that.Changing full time jobs to part-time jobs and having employees work less regularly and in a lot of cases not qualifying for statutory holidays at all.
Increased turnover? Maybe? But there are a not many places to find a new job.
This is actually nothing new. if you can afford it,go to a restaurant of your choice 3 times in the next few weeks and see if you get the same waitress. Probably not and this trend would be why.
In 2009 The Ontario government shouted that their economy was strong enough to handle another holiday.
Three years and one Drummond report later their economy is in tatters.The job losses are staggering. Obviously they were wrong.
Bottom line is their provincial government introduced a frivolous way of getting your vote at a time when other costs are going up.
The B.C. Liberal government has now followed suit.
The end result, as in the Ontario example, is that this day will probably end up costing you more than you thought! Maybe even your job.
How does that make you feel?
As always your comments are appreciated!