Shops closed for Easter - isn't it long overdue a change?

Forums › Off topic › Shops closed for Easter - isn't it long overdue a change?

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#3478557 6-Apr-2026 18:44

lxsw20:

Which is a bit crap if you're a part time student or something.

True but I guess the Sunday has technically never been a holiday.

MikeAqua

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#3478599 7-Apr-2026 09:07

roobarb:

I would love to see someone run for government with a policy of abolishing Christmas. I am sure that would be real vote winner.

No-one is talking about abolishing Xmas (or Easter) just laws about when businesses can or can't open. If you object to businesses being open on particular days, you can vote with your wallet.

Mike

MikeAqua

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#3478601 7-Apr-2026 09:11

roobarb:

This, along with the surcharge, is an attempt to redress that.

The surcharge doesn't go to workers. It goes to business owners. 100% of it. Workers get time and a half and an alternate paid day off. Those entitlements are entirely independent of the surcharge some businesses in the hospitality industry charge.

Mike

MikeAqua

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#3478604 7-Apr-2026 09:29

Handle9:

Nor can I see any significant benefit in changing the status quo.

Regulation that is removed wouldn't have to be enforced. Govt would directly save money, and get additional tax revenue from trading that occurs on those days.

If public holidays were gone altogether and instead people got 10 extra days of annual leave, the admin savings for businesses would be noticeable. The way holidays are calculated has been source of all sorts of errors. Even MBIE, the dept responsible for administering the legislation got it wrong at times.

Additionally, if every day was just a day (which ~355 of them are)... wage costs would reduce in business that have to operate seven days per week ... food production for example.

Mike

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#3478608 7-Apr-2026 09:38

MikeAqua:

Additionally, if every day was just a day (which ~355 of them are)... wage costs would reduce in business that have to operate seven days per week ... food production for example.

So it’d be another transfer of wealth from employees to employers. That’s not a benefit, that’s a negative.

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#3478609 7-Apr-2026 09:40

MikeAqua:

If public holidays were gone altogether and instead people got 10 extra days of annual leave, the admin savings for businesses would be noticeable. The way holidays are calculated has been source of all sorts of errors. Even MBIE, the dept responsible for administering the legislation got it wrong at times.

This doesn’t make a great deal of sense. It’s the calculation of all leave days which has been the issue, not public holidays specifically.

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MikeAqua

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#3478668 7-Apr-2026 10:46

Handle9:

So it’d be another transfer of wealth from employees to employers. That’s not a benefit, that’s a negative.

Most people don't work public holidays, so very little transfer at all. We're only talking about the extra payments for people working on public holidays. A good chunk of the cost is in the office. If you have a business than runs seven days a week with shift work, it's an admin cost for sure. You can't entirely trust payroll software, nor can you trust all employees to code their hours correctly. Someone has to check every pay run in its entirety.

I was suggesting that people would still get the same number of paid days off each year. They'd just all be annual leave. So instead of 20 days being the minimum, it would be 31 days.

Mike

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#3478675 7-Apr-2026 11:18

Handle9:

This doesn’t make a great deal of sense. It’s the calculation of all leave days which has been the issue, not public holidays specifically.

You're right that it isn't only public holidays. The problem stems from leave being weekly and payments being based on weekly earnings. But within that ... the calculation of leave for people who have worked public holidays, and the interaction with AWE and OWP is a source of complexity and errors.

Another significant problem is that many/most shift workers and almost all union organisers don't seem to understand how it works, so you spend a lot of time explaining to people why their pay calculation is correct. If you have a complex business, you need specialist (and expensive) software as well as highly skilled, dedicated and diplomatic payroll admin people to keep things compliant.

It could all be so very simple. 31 days per year. Annual shutdowns notwithstanding, negotiate with your employer when you take them. That's it.

Mike

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#3478918 7-Apr-2026 22:42

If I had my way we'd go back to no weekend trading, other than Saturday mornings, just like we used to have before 1990.

As it is now too many people are not able to engage adequately with the people they share the locality with because they never share the same leisure time.

The removal of weekend (Sunday) trading would allow/encourage more family and community time.

I believe people would become more connected with their local communities, parents would have the opportunity to spend more time with their children and as a result communities would become stronger with less anti social behaviour.

Easter and Christmas are an extension of this and remain as they are now.

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MikeAqua

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#3478952 8-Apr-2026 08:47

Technofreak:

If I had my way we'd go back to no weekend trading, other than Saturday mornings, just like we used to have before 1990.

As it is now too many people are not able to engage adequately with the people they share the locality with because they never share the same leisure time.

The removal of weekend (Sunday) trading would allow/encourage more family and community time.

I believe people would become more connected with their local communities, parents would have the opportunity to spend more time with their children and as a result communities would become stronger with less anti social behaviour.

Easter and Christmas are an extension of this and remain as they are now.

It's easy enough to engage with your neighbours, local community and family if you want to. Most people don't work weekends and we still have problems with lack of socialisation. My parents each worked six days per week and we had a farm and they still had time for family and socialisation. In my 20s, I worked weekends, nights etc but still found plenty of time to socialise. You have to want to.

Most people are too busy with their nose in their phones socialising via group chat.

Mike

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#3478957 8-Apr-2026 09:00

Technofreak:

If I had my way we'd go back to no weekend trading, other than Saturday mornings, just like we used to have before 1990.

...

Not sure this is feasible, particularly for supermarkets with so many families with two parents working full-time, or solo parents. Imagine them all cramming into the local Pak'N'Save between 08:30 and 12:00 on a Saturday morning.

Also, if I'm doing some DIY and need a bunch of 7.5 x 80mm galvanised masonry anchor screws on a Sunday afternoon, I'm pleased I can go down to Bunnings and get some straight away.

Sometimes I use big words I don't always fully understand in an effort to make myself sound more photosynthesis.

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mudguard

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#3478961 8-Apr-2026 09:18

Technofreak:

If I had my way we'd go back to no weekend trading, other than Saturday mornings, just like we used to have before 1990.

I've pondered this. I think there would be employment issues. That's two whole days taken out. No cafe or restaurants etc.

And as someone who has gone from a job where I had complete flexibility, IE I could call into a shop at anytime to pick something up etc to a job where I'm desk bound Monday to Friday, the thought of having to do a shop on a Wednesday night or something would be awful. I feel a bit guilty already getting something like USB cables couriered to me.

I think the only chance it would have if is if families could exist on one income and I think that boat has long sailed.

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#3478994 8-Apr-2026 10:21

When there was limited weekend trading, supermarkets closed early. Maybe 6pm if you were lucky in a small NZ city. IIRC Saturday morning was the time for buying groceries if you worked full time. I'm talking late 70s early 80s. All my friends parents both worked.

Mike

roobarb

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#3479055 8-Apr-2026 10:51

mudguard:

I think the only chance it would have if is if families could exist on one income and I think that boat has long sailed.

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openmedia

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#3479134 8-Apr-2026 12:15

Technofreak:

If I had my way we'd go back to no weekend trading, other than Saturday mornings, just like we used to have before 1990.

I personally can't go shopping in the week. Even with late night shopping on a Thursday and/or Friday I'd struggle without weekend shopping.

I do know people who've moved to alternative work weeks, eg Sunday -> Thursday or Tuesday -> Saturday so we're no longer in a traditional 5 day week environment.

Generally known online as OpenMedia, now working for Red Hat APAC as a Technology Evangelist and Portfolio Architect. Still playing with MythTV and digital media on the side.

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