Many small businesses and startups say they are open for business and will permit staff to work today’s January 26 public holiday, amid broader discussions about the future of Australia Day and the date on which it is celebrated.
The public holiday, which commemorates the establishment of the first British colony in Australia in 1788, has long granted workers and employers the chance to celebrate Australia’s modern history.
But January 26 bears a different meaning for many, who believe the date is representative of colonisation and its negative effects on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The ‘Change the Date’ campaign has garnered widespread attention in recent years, as advocates push for Australia’s national day not to coincide with a date many view as ‘Invasion Day’.
Before any formal changes to the date, many firms are opting not to close for today’s public holiday and are instead offering workers the chance to work January 26 in exchange for a day off in lieu.
Murawin is a small, Indigenous-led consultancy that provides technical and cultural knowledge to government, non-profit, and corporate clients.
Taking to social media, Murawin on Tuesday announced its stance on January 26: business as usual.
“At Murawin, we believe that there are many aspects of Australia worth celebrating but January 26th is not the day to do it,” the consultancy said.
“As Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the day represents pain, dispossession, and the ongoing struggle faced since colonisation, which is why we continue to support the [Change the Date] campaign, so we can find a new, inclusive date that we ALL can celebrate.”
That stance is shared by Melbourne-based startup Neighbourlytics, which provides in-depth property data to developers.
Neighbourlytics has allowed staff to work on January 26 since launching in 2017, and has “invited our staff to take another day off instead,” said CEO and founding director Jessica Christiansen-Franks.
Since then, the policy has evolved “into a shared and embraced company position that Neighbourlytics does not support the celebration of Australia Day on 26 January.”
Businesses considering the date can use it as a conversation-starter with their own team and clients, Christiansen-Franks added.
“Our team have been extremely supportive, and even grateful, of the company’s stance on this matter,” she said.
“Not only do we hear that they appreciate working for an organisation that considers important social and community issues, but also that we provide the flexibility to our team to apply the day off however makes sense for them.”
More than half of Intrepid Travel’s staff in Australia have elected to work on January 26 this year, as part of what a spokesperson called a “no judgement” policy regarding the public holiday.
Creative Natives, a boutique recruiting outfit located in Melbourne, has enacted a similar policy giving staff who work on January 26 the opportunity to take January 29 off work.
The company also took the step of informing its LinkedIn followers — many of whom are employees and would-be recruits — to discuss similar changes in their own workplaces.
“If you’ve been thinking about changing the day at your work, there’s no time like the present,” the business said.
“Speak to your manager about working January 26 and taking the day off at another time.”
Beyond the SME sector, some major players are allowing staff to work the date in exchange for a day off in lieu.
Block, the international fintech giant that operates Square and the Australian-born Afterpay, will allow Australian-based staff to take that option.
The Australian Financial Review reports ANZ now allows workers to request to work on the January 26 public holiday (and other public holidays) in exchange for a day off in lieu, matching policies from the other Big Four banks.
New research suggests a desire to work on January 26 is largely coming from workers themselves, as opposed to top-down mandates.
Three out of four Australian workers want the opportunity to work on the Australia Day public holiday, job site Indeed states, as economic concerns mix with personal reluctance to celebrate a day of mourning for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
According to a survey of 1,000 Australian workers, Indeed states 75% of workers want the option to clock into work on the January 26 public holiday.
The sentiment is not limited to January 26, as 68% of respondents said workers should be allowed to work any public holidays and swap the time off for a day in lieu.
Even so, the proportion of respondents who would like to work on Australia Day far surpasses other public holidays, like Labour Day (where 31% would like the opportunity to work), Christmas Day (30%), and Easter Monday (30%).
Importantly, the Indeed survey suggests the desire to work on January 26 could be borne of financial concerns, not just personal sentiments towards the date.
Earning more money on the public holiday was the most popular reason listed for working January 26, Indeed said, with 89% of respondents saying as much.
By comparison, 66% of workers said they wanted to work on January 26 as they do not see it as a day of celebration.
For many retail and hospitality businesses, financial concerns, not personal feelings towards January 26, also appear to be driving their decision to keep doors closed or roster fewer staff.
Extra data from shift management platform Deputy shows businesses have rostered fewer shifts and hours on January 26, 2024 than in 2023.
Deputy suggests this year-on-year fall is due to employer fears over absenteeism, after a spike in employee no-shows across retail and hospitality businesses on January 26 last year.
The downturn in rostered hours may also speak to employer fears over rostering workers — on penalty rates — as cost-of-living pressures force consumers to make tough decisions about their spending habits.
Small retail businesses are rostering 43% fewer shifts and 45% fewer hours on Australia Day compared to the three prior Fridays, Deputy said.
For hospitality businesses, there are 26% fewer shifts and 27% fewer hours, respectively.
Senior Business Journalist
Focused on the small business sector, David’s work covers the political, regulatory, and economic issues facing Australian entrepreneurs. Prior to joining SmartCompany, he was a reporter for Business Insider Australia. You can follow him on LinkedIn.
