Time was when everything opened at 9, closed at 5 except weekends where the shops opened at 9 and closed at midday on Saturdays. We all had to live with that and the rest of the weekend was for R&R. Many people went to Church on Sunday. Women, generally were, typically, the home makers and did not work. So all went well, Penalty rates were introduced to compensate people for their absence from the family (loosely) because it was expected the outside of those hours you would be with your family.
These days, Sundays, and Sat afternoons are expected to be treated by the populous just like any other day. Not many people attend Church, so a "day of rest" - as per religious tenets is no longer expected. In other words, people expect the same access to goods and services on any day of the week. If they want that convenience, then, they should be prepared to accept some inconvenience, too. I understand the necessity to work long hours to make ends meet, but, these days, there should be no penalties paid, or expected for the first 40 hours of any working week, regardless of which day it falls on. I also believe that a married couple should be allowed to income split to encourage one party to remain home and "home make". We already have issues of not enough jobs to go around and the government is forcing people (who otherwise, for valid reasons, would not) to look for work.
Bookmarks