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  • jennie swain
    21st Dec 2012
    I use boxing day to catch up with extended family that aren't always available christmas day. Having a picnic and going to the beach. Sometimes bbq at someones house as a second christmas. Only having christmas day wouldn't give us enough time to catch up with all the family.
  • Anonymous
    5th Nov 2012
    I'm 31 years old and I have worked in retail for over 16 years. Every year I have always worked a 12-hour shift on Xmas Eve, with one shift on Xmas day. Due to my working hours, I have not had proper sleep, food and time with my family. Every event has to be planned around my working hours, everyday meals, birthdays, family illness, even Xmas and Easter as I will be too exhausted from the day before to be of any preparation assistance. Taking away these quality times with our friends and family may not seem important right away as everything looks rosy and sweet as you gather around the table to share a meal, but it is. Last year my family and I found ourselves homeless after the owners of our rental property returned from overseas and we were unable to find new accomodation by then. I needed to rely on my family to pack what possessions we could carry and arrange for us to live in a boarding house. I could not take time off from work as I needed the money to pay for the accomodation at the boarding house and to help us apply for a new rental property. My family and I lost that time to emotionally support each other during this crisis and had I not been able to spend Xmas, Boxing Day, Good Friday and Easter with them during the good times, I doubt our relationship would have survived this unfortunate period.
  • Anonymous
    19th Sep 2012
    I spent 6 years working for a major retail chain and during this time saw how managers where required to work on public holidays without penalty rates as they were on salaries. Most were required to be there on those days and did not have option like other staff to choose not to work or to gain penalty rates. As such these staff missed out an important family time and events. In this day and age it is very easy to access shopping already as shops are generally open 7 days and lots of major retailers have extended trading hours. There is no need for trade on these particular days. I am not religious but enjoy spending time on these days and I am disgusted that trading on these days is being considered.
  • Renea Sirol
    18th Sep 2012
    I'm glad there is a petition on the subject of work/life balance. It really upsets me, and effects me when I see certain family members having to work weekends and public holidays and not be able to catch up on family get togethers, be it birthdays or social functions. We already spend more time at work than we do with our loved ones, and now there is a possibility of an even greater increase in spending your life at work? This is ridiculous! There is more to life than work! In order for us to function properly, we all need balance in our lives, Where have our values gone? Shame on you Australia! Let's get back to being the relaxed, care free and happy country we should be known for.
  • Anonymous
    14th Sep 2012
    For many years i have worked in the retail industry and I have watched gobble up all the hours it can to eat away at family time.Growing up I remember weekends away, short trips going to church as a family. Can someone please explain to my children why I cannot make it to their weekend sports or why we cannot go away at Christmas or Easter time. My family also celebrate birthdays close to Christmas and Easter and on occasion it has been a battle to juggle this with trading days it would be interesting to see what sort of increases in child crime, depression, obesity, has occurred since the introduction of 7 day trading. Where has the corner store gone.

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