Next Thursday’s public holiday, the National Day of Mourning for the Queen, will create challenges for many businesses, says Graham Catt, CEO of the Canberra Business Chamber, from higher staff rates to absenteeism.

“No-one was expecting this, or planning for it, and businesses have suddenly been given [eight] days’ notice to get ready,” Mr Catt said.

Following the Federal Government’s decision, Mick Gentleman, ACT Minister for Industrial Relations and Workplace Safety, formally declared Thursday 22 September was a one-off additional public holiday under the Holidays Act 1958.

• How the ACT will mark next week’s National Day of Mourning (14 September)
• September 22 public holiday confirmed to remember Queen (11 September)
• Short notice public holiday sparks concern (12 September)

“Normally, this could provide a real benefit for many businesses in the accommodation, tourism, and hospitality sectors where a public holiday can generate extra demand,” Mr Catt said.

“Right now, however, we are hearing from many who are struggling to meet the demand they have due to staff shortages.

“If businesses don’t open, they’ll lose that business day. If they do want to open, they will have to pay public holiday rates to have their staff working, and that means a significant cost increase at a time when so many are already struggling with spiralling costs of supplies, rent, and labour.”

Under the ACT’s Holidays Act, Canberrans who work on the public holiday will be entitled to applicable public holiday award rates, rights, and entitlements.

“With the holiday falling on Thursday,” Mr Catt said, “we’re also hearing some concern that we’ll see very high rates of absenteeism on Friday, exacerbating something that is an issue for just about every type of business and organisation at the moment.”

An ACT Government spokesperson noted that the public holiday was a Federal Government decision, and encouraged Canberrans to “get out and about on the public holiday and support local businesses as they would on any other public holiday”.

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