Surcharge set to confuse café customers

Media release

Newmarket Business Association

Friday, 5 February 2010

Tomorrow’s public holiday surcharge set to confuse café customers

Tomorrow won’t feel like a public holiday to most New Zealanders and so being asked to pay a surcharge in the likes of cafés and restaurants will inevitably cause some confusion, according to Cameron Brewer, chief executive of the Newmarket Business Association.

"We’re keen to remind people that Waitangi Day is an official public holiday even though it falls on a Saturday. That means the likes of cafes will be paying extra in staff costs and so many will choose to add a surcharge.”

Recent Christmas and New Year holidays were ‘Mondayised’ but Waitangi Day and Anzac Day holidays are not.

"When public holidays fall during the week, it feels really special and the public don’t generally mind paying a bit extra for their lunch out. However for most people this will just feel like any old Saturday and so some resentment may creep in when they’re asked to pay a premium.

"We're reminding cafes and restaurants that they must adopt a "no surprises" policy for their patrons. Have the surcharge amount well signposted and maybe for this Waitangi Day in smaller print point out that Saturday is indeed an official public holiday, and so under the law extra staffing costs are incurred.”

Imposing a surcharge is purely optional for operators. It is not provided for in the holidays’ legislation.

"Interestingly more and more cafés and restaurants are opting not to add a surcharge. For many promoting themselves as being surcharge-free gives them a competitive advantage in what is a pretty price-sensitive market at the moment,” says Cameron Brewer.

Mr Brewer says that no retail trading restrictions operate on Waitangi Day. However on Anzac Day, which falls on a Sunday this year, shops can not open until 1pm.

The Department Of Labour’s website www.dol.govt.nz advises that “ANZAC Day and Waitangi Day are celebrated on the day they fall, so only those working on the weekend are covered by the public holiday provisions”… “An employee is entitled to at least time and a half for the work that they are required to do on a public holiday.” What’s more “if the employee normally works on the day that the public holiday falls, the employee will also be entitled to an alternative holiday on pay (previously known as a day in lieu).”

Ends

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