Benefits in double holiday

Dougal McGowan.
Dougal McGowan.
Many Dunedin and Otago people will work only three days next week, because of Otago Anniversary Day and Easter Friday, but the double holiday has many positive features, despite business "disruption''.

That is the view of Otago Chamber of Commerce chief executive Dougal McGowan.

The three-day week, because the two holidays fell in the same week, meant "disruption'' for business, but this could be overcome with good planning, Mr McGowan said.

And most businesses routinely undertook the necessary planning.

He was asked if there were continuing problems with the mixed observance of anniversary day on Monday, with some firms and institutions, such as the University of Otago, taking the holiday on the day after Easter Monday.

Mr McGowan said he had heard no clamour among the business community for anniversary day observance to be standardised, but the chamber was happy to be part of that dialogue if people thought it should be further discussed.

Asked if both consumers and retailers could be disadvantaged by confusion on anniversary day because some shops were closed while others were open, Mr McGowan said some of the previous problems with the day had already been quietly overcome.

More Dunedin retailers tended to open on anniversary day, enabling them to offer goods and services to their clients, while many other non-retail firms remained closed.

And there were clearly positive benefits for firms in enabling their staff to have time off, and to relax and connect with friends and family, before the pressures of deteriorating winter weather set in.

Such holiday breaks were also good for morale and productivity, and could reduce sickness absenteeism.

"Long term, it can actually add a whole lot of value in workers' health.''

And employers were now "much more aware'' of how their staff were faring, both physically and mentally, and were "starting to view their people as their biggest asset''.

The anniversary day break also boosted retail and hospitality sector activity by enabling people to "go out as a family, have something to eat''.

Families also undertook "end of summer'' shopping, and bought items they needed as they prepared for the "winter hunker-down'', he said.

Many retailers were also taking the chance "to get the people in the doors and keep the tills ringing''.

john.gibb@odt.co.nz

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