Hospitality Review Feb 2018 - Digital

Hospitality Review Feb 2018 - Digital

April Edition 2018

The Official Journal of the Tasmanian Hospitality Association

Features: Jane Shaw - Ingleside Bakery Guide Dogs Tasmania New online services for Security Agent licences starts 1 June 2018 Take charge of the future profitability of your venue Tasmanian Post Election Energy Outlook Student Profiles

April 2018 www.tha.asn.au

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Corporate Partners

• Premium Beverages • Tasmanian Hotel & Catering Supplies • RAMS • Tourism Brochure Exchange • Wise Employment • Vanquad Vending • Moo Music • Steps • Silver Chef • JobNet • Grinders • Lion Dairy & Drinks • Parr’s Heat Pump Centre • Hoshizaki Lancer • Collins SBA • Knight Frank • PPCA • Workskills • Samuel Smith & Son • Red Bull • Tas Water • Oakley Textiles • CRE Brokers • APM

• Commonwealth Bank • National Australia Bank • Westpac Bank • Entertainment Publications • Europcar • The Smiths Snackfood Co • ERM • First Aid Training Tasmania • ANZ • Bendigo Bank • Energy ROI • Qantas

April 2018 www.tha.asn.au

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30-31

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REGULARS

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Key Events

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Presidents Report

5

CEO Report

6 - 10

Membership Report

12 - 13

Industry Skills & Workforce Development

14 - 15

Employment Relations Report

11

Tasmania Police Report

17

John Fitzgerald

19

Max Hitchins

24 - 25

April 2018 www.tha.asn.au

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[email protected] 03 6220 7300 [email protected] 03 6220 7300

Hospitality Review Hospitality Review

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Article

PAUL JUBB - State President

President's Report

With the recent State election behind us and a Liberal majority Government elected, we can now get on to delivering the Government’s ‘Taking Hospitality to the Next Level’ election policy. Below is a summary of the election policy as announced. Taking Hospitality to the Next Level A re-elected Hodgman majority Liberal Government will boost our investment in the hospitality sector to take it to the next level. The hospitality sector is the backbone of our visitor economy. The industry has gone from strength to strength over the past four years, and we want to see that trend continue. To achieve this, we will invest $1.7 million a year over four years into the industry. This investment not only recognises the invaluable contribution hospitality makes to Tasmania, for locals and visitors alike, but the industry’s continued growth. With this investment we will join forces with the industry leader, the Tasmanian Hospitality Association, to deliver key initiatives including: • Investing $2.8 million into the Great Customer experience • Stop the Coward Punch: legislation and campaign • Support Clubs, sporting clubs and RSLs • Workforce development

Tasmanian Liberals’ Plan The Hodgman Liberal Government recognises that hospitality is one of Tasmania’s greatest competitive strengths. We are committed to continuing to work hard with the industry to take our visitor economy to the next level.

We will make Drysdale a Centre of Excellence for tourism and hospitality training, off the back of our $3.2 million investment. This will reinvigorate Drysdale and produce a new generation of hospitality and tourism workers trained to the latest and best industry standards. We are implementing the recommendations of the Tourism and Hospitality Workforce report we commissioned, including establishing an industry led sub-committee of the TasTAFE Board to develop the annual Tourism and Hospitality Workforce Development Plan. We have also set ambitious new targets through our Building Your Future plan to ensure the continued growth in tourism and hospitality. Our targets include reaching 50,000 tourism-related jobs by 2022, up from the current 37,400 jobs. We also want to increase the average visitor spend by 50 per cent by 2022, and increase the regional dispersal of visitors with the ambition for 70 per cent of all visitors to stay overnight in regional areas during their trip to Tasmania by 2022. Cost Our total funding will be $1.7 million a year for four years

We look forward to working with our members on the above initiatives so be sure to read our regular communication pieces for updates.

If youwould like to keep upwith THA news fortnightly then contact Madi on 6220 7300 or [email protected]

April 2018 www.tha.asn.au

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DR MUSIC’S ADVICE ON HOW TO USE MUSIC TO INCREASE PATRONS

www.apraamcos.com.au

We recently opened a new bar in Hobart. We are open six days from 5pm to midnight and we usually have a busy weekend but we are very quiet during the week. Our menu consists of small bites including cheese and meat platters and a diverse cocktail list. At the moment, we play music from a CD player. What can we do to increase customers during the week?

Music can be a great way of pulling people into your premises. I would check with the local council and neighbouring premises and try to play music outside, right by your entrance. This clearly demonstrates that you are open for business and if people like the music they will be drawn to its source. Now that we have attracted some customers through the door, let’s turn to what you play inside the bar. Given that the place is pretty quiet, you need to get those customers you do have to stick around for as long as possible: slower, quieter music will have precisely this effect.

Judging by what you say about your menu, I’m presuming you have a southern Mediterranean feel. I would suggest playing mainstream Latino pop. I know you’re currently set up to play music from CDs, but I would recommend subscribing to a background music supplier service: it will offer a large number of playlists, make it easy to find slower tempo pieces and also refresh the music regularly.

Guitar-playing Professor Adrian North is a psychologist who researches the links between music and behaviour. Originally from the UK, he made the move to Curtin University, Perth in 2012. Professor North’s fascinating work has seen him explore everything from how digital music can improve mood through to the impact of music on consumer behaviour and theories of musical taste.

Play music in your business? Speak to APRA AMCOS about your licensing needs. [email protected] | 1300 852 388 | apraamcos.com.au

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[email protected] 03 6220 7300

Hospitality Review

Article

STEVE OLD - CEO

CEO Report

In the current age, there are not many areas of more importance to the image and relevance of an organisation than their digital presence. With the reliance on search engines such as Google to find information as well as the universal reach of social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, an easy to use and modern website as well as appealing and informative social media channels have become absolutely essential. This is why in the last year we began the process of revitalising our brand and online presence. Our recent efforts have included a completely reinvented website, a full time focus on putting out engaging and consistent content on social media (starting with Facebook) and production of high quality videos spotlighting our members and events. Social media also offers a direct channel for anybody to get in touch and engage with us at the click of a button, which is an invaluable tool we hope to utilise more in future. These facets have all received great feedback from the public and our members – and with results like increasing our “follows” on Facebook to over 1,500 and views of our website to around 2,000 per month, we encourage anybody who hasn’t seen for themselves to go and have a look. Although we have seen success in our first steps we hope to reach even greater heights in future. In the coming months we are planning our next goals and exploring new spaces in which we can provide better services to our members and encourage growth in our digital presence. Some of these include better promotion for the many services the THA provides to the industry and our members – a couple of examples being Workforce Development, our Employment Relations services and the THA Foundation. Workforce Development in particular offers some great opportunities for producing industry relevant content, with videos in the works for subjects such as our Great Customer Experience program, Hospitality Awareness Program and our work in schools. Whilst promoting our own services and organisation is great for awareness of our association and giving the industry a good name, the best part of our upcoming social media plan is the promotion of our members and corporate partners. The main format these will take will be vignette clips of interviews focusing on hospitality professionals, and topics will range from covering issues such as mental health to the craft of the industry – as well as a broad range of businesses including hotels, restaurants, cafes, pubs and clubs. We hope to give a boost to our members in publicity on an individual basis, and to the industry as a whole – not only in our state, but internationally as well. It is an exciting time for our organisation, members and partners as we explore these opportunities for our unique industry and the people that work in it. We hope you continue on this journey with us into the future. If you are unsure how to use social media or looking for some assistance with your own social media strategy, we want to help! Get in touch by giving us a ring at 6220 7300 or emailing [email protected] and we can help to figure out the best solution for you and your business.

April 2018 www.tha.asn.au

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Article

ANTHONY MCCONNON - MEMBERSHIP & CORPORATE

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[email protected] 03 6220 7300

Hospitality Review

Jane Shaw Ingleside Bakery In November last year I sat down for a brief chat with Jane Shaw from the Ingleside Bakery. As our conversation progressed Jane began to share some of the story of how she and her husband Steve came to own this enchanting venue. The couple have been in the venue since 1990 and at 23 Jane took on a business that had no guarantees of success in possibly one of Tasmania's toughest economic times. 27 years later and the venue, Jane, Steve and her family are thriving. What’s the secret to their success? We asked Jane to give us the details of their fascinating journey. So Jane your accent stands out straight away and the story of how you have ended up in a café bakery in Evandale is fascinating. Could we trouble you to paint the picture for us all? Having grown up in Gloucestershire, England, my parents decided to sell their farm and move to Tasmania in 1985. As a 17 year old this was rather horrific news! However, I had no choice in the matter and was told that I must stay in Australia for two years. I worked as a personal assistant in Launceston and Sydney for that time and on the very day I had been here for two years I booked a one way flight back to England! Within weeks of arriving back home I met Steve, married him a year later and we spent a great three years together in Cheltenham. Then, following a visit here together to meet my family Steve voiced the very thoughtful but slightly crazy idea of us moving to Tasmania together! To do this we decided we would go into business as Steve had worked in the electronics manufacturing field which was not something he could do here. We both handed in our notice, sold our home, put everything into a container to make the big move and on arrival in March 1990 my father said that our timing was not good as the economy had entered a recession. Not good news. As we were here we said we would give it until December and if nothing suitable arose we would go back. We looked at various businesses in Launceston and Hobart but kept coming back to Ingleside which appealed to us, meanwhile I went back to my previous employer working with Robert Hosken on his developments. Ingleside had been set up as a charity and had been operating for about 18 months when we decided to purchase it, however borrowing a vast amount of money in uncertain economic times and close to the airport, shortly following the pilot’s strike, proved very difficult. All the banks declined our attempts until we were able to get funding through the Commonwealth Development Bank at 18.75 per cent. Neither of us had any experience at all in the hospitality industry, I was only 23 years old. We had taken an awful lot on but learnt very quickly! We had been promised a manager to assist us for a month in the sale agreement but that did not eventuate, neither were we left any purchasing contacts so the early days were difficult in the extreme living in a new country in a small country town who largely saw us as outsiders, with huge debts. We worked very long hours seven days a week.

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Hospitality Review

When we first started we had four bakers working full time and we supplied wholesale bread to many shops and restaurants around Launceston and the airlines with their onboard catering such as bread rolls and cakes for about 15 years, particularly Ansett. We faced many challenges during this time including the night the hot water cylinder fell through the ceiling in the early hours of the morning spraying water over all the racks prepared for wholesale. Another night in 1999 one of the bakers put the ash from the wood fired oven into a plastic bin which caused it to smoulder for hours before setting fire to the kitchen. On the back wall was a gas cylinder and it had just started to take hold of the wooden floor when the fire brigade came in. We so nearly lost the whole building. We have had many break-ins but one memorable one was when a team of thieves took a large part of the wall out of the room with a safe in it and brought in oxy acetylene with the intention of taking the safe out but fortunately a staff member turned up early for her bread packing shift and they disappeared. The Ingleside building definitely has character can you tell us a little about the history? Built in 1867, in the classically influenced style of public buildings at the time, Ingleside is housed in the former Council Chambers. In the 50's the main chamber was used for dances and there was a stage at the far end which the local school held their performances on. During the 70's it was used as a courthouse, a magistrate would come when there were enough cases to be held locally. Also the Bye Brothers were a travelling movie company who went to country towns and came to Evandale about once a month … I hear many tales from some of the town’s lovely elder residents! The wood fired oven was built to a traditional small and shattel design, of which only a handful of this type have been built this century. The design includes carefully constructed brickwork to retain the heat of a wood fire. The oven contains 25,000 bricks. The old Phoenix Foundry in Launceston originally cast the ironwork, rescued from weeds in a Beaconsfield paddock. One of the special things about Ingleside is

the lovely open wood fire which creates such a wonderful warm and welcoming atmosphere to the whole café. In 2000 we decided to stop the wholesale side of our business following the collapse of Ansett who was our biggest customer and to instead focus on extending and building up the café. We took out one of the windows and replaced with a stunning old tall door which had been one of a pair of double church doors, this door is a much loved talking point but also allowed access so that we could create the courtyard which is now an integral part of the café. Customers often comment on how it feels like a little bit of England or France with the stunning wall of Pierre de Ronsard roses and the shade provided by three robinia mop top trees. The courtyard is a beautiful place to relax beside the roses and for locals to bring their dogs with them, we can’t imagine not having it there once! We have also developed another section into a back garden which people enjoy walking around or sitting quietly with their lunch. Ingleside’s main building only sits on it’s own footprint, so we were very fortunate to be able to purchase the adjoining building in the early 1990’s which had been the former fire station. This has proved invaluable as an office space in addition to the courtyard and gardens. How many staff do you currently employ and what do you feel is the key to finding and retaining good staff? We currently employ 18 staff. Our baker, Darren Richards joined the company in 1999 and is still with us which has provided great continuity in the quality of our bakery products. In the past we used to find staff by word of mouth or by an advert in the Examiner but in recent years we have had some success with Gumtree. We have a wonderful manager Merilyn Barker who has been with us for 8 years and our current longest serving front of house employee has been at Ingleside for 12 years. We no longer open on public holidays as it is financially unviable although we make an exception during the Glover prize long weekend in March as we like to support this local event.

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Hospitality Review

What would you say is the biggest issue you have faced while running your business. Biggest issue faced: Finding, retaining, looking after and working with excellent staff, we are nothing without them. Constantly maintaining standards and continuing to be innovative. We have seen so many cafes come and go in Evandale but most do not stay open for long. We are extremely seasonal and it takes a lot of forward planning to have teams strong enough to cope with the extreme high season demands and then to still be able to provide enough employment to keep these staff through winter. A constant issue is also being able to get the balance right with regard to costings, covering all expenses, keeping margins and getting a price which is not perceived to be too expensive What do you think is the biggest change you have seen in the industry during your at Ingleside When we first started at Ingleside bread sales were stronger but over the years supermarkets have changed a lot of shopping habits as so many people are time poor and it is easier to buy everything in one place. This has been a similar scenario in Evandale with the local butcher which has now disappeared again and so it has been necessary to constantly diversify and look for other opportunities. Also the advent of social media has it’s good and bad points. It is a great way to get advertising cheaply and effectively to chosen markets but sites like Tripadvisor mean that anyone can have a voice, no matter how much actual knowledge they have which can be detrimental … or good! It can be a handy tool and we research all comments received as some are actually valuable feedback. Do you find it difficult to source fresh produce? Fortunately no. We make all our own pastries, cakes, breads, pies. Will always buy Tasmanian where possible. Our manager Merilyn is a chef and loves to include fresh, local, seasonal produce such as watercress or asparagus when in abundance.

I like to have a very happy team as that feeling comes across in all respects to customers and to all of us that work together. I believe that “communication is the key to success” and like openness and honesty and kindness to each other. This is not always easy with so many different personalities working together but it is essential. Steve is all about standards and notices every small detail with his critical and creative eye! He also chooses, purchases and displays all the gifts, Tasmanian produce and much of the art that is on display. How much involvement has the family unit had in the business. Following our move to Tasmania to be close to my family, a business decision made by my father, it was necessary for my family to move to Hobart, hence we have never had any family support. Living so far from any of our relatives has made us a terribly solid unit and we quickly worked out our strengths and weaknesses to put to use in our evolving business. In 1992 we had our first son Charles and in 1994 our second son George. Both boys have grown up entirely with the business and both worked here from age 15 and through their time at university and we have always discussed a lot of business issues with them plus they are both awesome baristas! George is now living and working in Hobart but Charles has finished his business degree in management and marketing and is still working at Ingleside. It is wonderful to be able to share the wages, banking and other aspects of the administrative side after doing it alone for so long … especially when we went home to see our family in England last year and Charles kept the office together in my absence which was a real treat! How important do you think it is to be involved with the local community, and how rewarding do you think it is personally? The best thing about the local community for me is getting to know some of our wonderful regular locals, I can often walk around the café and know the names of everyone sitting there! We sponsor many events in Evandale.

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Hospitality Review

Has the “coffee boom” changed your business in any way? In 1990 we inherited a coffee machine but the level of training and experience was very, very different back then! Coffee has always been an integral and important part of the business but we now have a superb new machine supplied by Doppio and only well trained and very experienced staff make the coffee as this more than anything is often a benchmark for people’s opinion of the business! Ingleside isn’t just a cafe / bakery let us a little about the other side of the business. Ingleside is a bakery and café but we also have walls full of art bought by Steve at auction or supplied on consignment. We sell predominantly Tasmanian produce, honey, jams made in Evandale, jewellery made exclusively by one of our staff, local wines, beers, ciders, whiskeys etc. What is the most popular item you sell from your bakery. Most popular item from the bakery would be our Tasmanian scallop pies or the traditional pasties and old favourites like the Banbury slice. Do you have any major plans for the business We must always keep evolving and improving, it’s a constant thing. This season we have introduced the Van Diemen’s land creamery ice creams which are a top quality product and going very well. Other plans we have are to expand our outside eating area into the remaining car park to increase seating capacity and for the retail of garden ware and plants also to develop the old fire station into a shop and accommodation. Market day must be busy for the venue? Sundays are constantly our busiest day of the week, a lot of regulars come to Evandale for their big breakfast and others to visit the market. We have nine staff working Sundays including myself! Evandale has some excellent events that have evolved over the years, particularly the Glover which draws a huge crowd over two weeks. Penny-farthing is often the single most busy day of the year. Evandale has never looked more beautiful, customers often say it has such a great feel, so unspoilt and well cared for. What advice would you give to someone considering entering the hospitality industry? Be sure you know what you are getting into!! This industry is very hard work for small profit as it is highly labour intensive and it is easy to burn out quickly. Fortunately for me I do not need to be too involved

in the food side as that is not my strong area but I surround myself with a great team who are led by Merilyn, our chef who is always full of inspiration! My strengths lie in customer relations, which I constantly love and never tire of, the financial running of the business and staff management. Ingleside is perfect for Steve with his passion for the creative which shows in so many areas of the business and in his humour which is a welcome aspect to us all and very important in work environment! These elements have been key to our longevity and our attitude to “never give up and never give in”. Steve is the ideas person and I am the action one and we have always be prepared to take a risk and never stand still, always looking out for opportunities. One crazy example of an opportunity we said yes to was in 1991 when a Japanese company liked our raspberry jam we had for sale and asked if we could produce 22,000 jars for them in a variety of Tasmanian quince, pears etc. We somehow managed to do this until the Japanese company went bankrupt when we reached 19,000 jars, although they were honourable and did pay us! For Steve who had been a production manager in his previous career he was endlessly frustrated by the double and triple handling but we do like to say yes to opportunities! Other important factors are to keep an eye on margins, upgrade machinery, keep implementing more efficient systems and keep our humour always. Always be prepared to let go and move forward and to turn negatives around. Would you say your marriage / partnership with Steve has been a catalyst for success? I still remember the fear sitting in our solicitor’s office feeling like I was signing my life away in November 1990 although at the time we only planned to run Ingleside for a couple of years … well, how wrong we were!! 28 years later and having been married for 30 years we are still in the business and still married and happier than ever so I guess we should be very pleased as it takes a very special relationship to work and live together with the intensity of a business like this.

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Hospitality Review

Article

INSPECTOR GARRY WILLIAMS - Tasmanian Police - Northern District Support Services

Barring Orders

Police may also issue Barring Order’s and have additional powers in regards to the area’s in which a Barring Order may take effect (including barring an individual from a certain type of premises or premises within a certain area).’ To date, very few barring orders have been issued across the state. Additionally, we are aware that some establishments are continue to keep adhoc lists of persons who have been ‘banned’ from their premises but are not progressing to formal barring orders provided for in the Act. We are particularly interested in your feedback as to why this would be occurring and whether there are any perceived barriers to the use of barring orders by licensees or permit holders. Confidential feedback can be left by contacting your local Police Licensing Services Office in either Ulverstone, Launceston or Hobart on 131444 or by emailing [email protected]. As a reminder, you can find a guide on Barring Orders at http:// www.liquorlicensing.tas.gov.au/domino/dtf/dtf.nsf/LookupFiles/ Barringorders.pdf/$file/Barringorders.pdf. The Barring Order forms for licensee’s and permit holders are available at http://www.liquorlicensing.tas.gov.au/.

As most of you would recall on the 1st September 2016, amendments to the Liquor Licensing Act 1990 took effect. Along with a host of new powers for Police and Licensees, the amendments introduced Barring Orders which enabled Police, Licensees and Permit Holders to prohibit a person from entering or remaining on a licensed or permit premises for a period of up to six months. As outlined in our March 2017 article: ‘A Barring Order can be issued by a licensee (or a person acting with their authority), a permit holder or a police officer (acting with the authority of a senior police officer) and can bar a person from a premises if they: • Are intoxicated on the premises; • Are violent or quarrelsome on the premises; • Put their safety or the safety of others on the premises at risk because of their consumption of liquor; or on any other reasonable ground (this cannot be discriminatory in nature). A person served with a barring order must: • Immediately leave the premises and vicinity (50 metres from any entry or exit, or another distance or specific area determined by a police officer) • Not re-enter or remain in the vicinity (without reasonable excuse ) for six hours or until the premises is closed for the day, whichever is longer (you may re-enter the vicinity after this time) • Not re-enter or remain in the premises while the Order is in place (up to six months) A Barring Order must be in writing and must be given to the person. This can be done by handing it to them, sending it to them by post to their last know place of residence or leaving it at their last known place of residence.

Section 81, Liquor Licensing Act 1990 Reasonable excuse includes: • Living within the vicinity; • Catching transport; or • Fearing for one’s safety outside of the vicinity.

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[email protected] 03 6220 7300

Hospitality Review

Article

STEPHEN LONG - Industry Skills and Workforce Development Manger

THA and Government – Working Together

On behalf of our members the THA put a submission to both parties in the recent election about continuing the great working relationship(s) that has been in place over the last 4 years. That previous relationship has allowed the THA to develop and implement Workforce Development strategies, including: • Trial and also put in place the Great Customer Experience program (GCE) and we are now seeing the fruits of our labour with training being in the venues and when the venues want it and its also funded by Government • Create a program of student and teacher engagement to try and build our workforce of the future and to build on the 300+ schools and 8,000 students we have engaged with over the last 2 years • Promote and see continuing uptake in School Based Apprenticeships which is a major bonus for the future of the industry, a three fold increase in 2017 – we need many more. • Enter into negotiations with employment providers - JobActives, Disability, Migrant and Not for Profits that resulted in a new Hospitality Awareness Program being developed and rolled out across these organisations We are very grateful to the incoming Liberal Government for the funding policy they have developed "taking hospitality to the Next Level" With this investment the Government will join forces with THA as the industry leader, to deliver key initiatives including the investment of $2.8 million into the THA Great Customer Experience program. The Great Customer Experience program has had more than 600 hospitality businesses involved in this initiative. The GCE will expand to assist 2,000 businesses over the next 4 years, and include industrial relations and human resource training, a core of any successful small and large business. The program has been on a journey that has taught us some important lessons and we have used those lessons to adapt the program delivery and outputs. Program Experience and Redesign The program has been difficult to rollout to many venues with a number of revisits being required to get any traction. The experience is unique – over a 12 month period the venue engagement barriers looks like this: • November to Easter – Too busy • Easter to end of June – Staff put off and taking a breath, staff on leave • July to August – Venue operators on leave • August to mid September – Taking on new staff • Mid-September to November – Staffing being settled and training on the job, school holidays and last chance to do family things before the season starts It’s a difficult industry to get traction in venues for training because: • They work their people harder, • There is an increasing clientele so customers are not generally an issue, • In urban areas a couple of good nights can keep a venue viable, • On the job training is seen as acceptable – been doing it forever • Operators are too involved in the day to day business to be able to access training options despite continually concern about skill levels The industry has a well defined ability to manage the chaos of a brutal season and to get through, worry about skills and availability of staff and then go and do it all again. How can we do more to help The logical next step is the introduction of more aspects to our offering so that we have a product that venues know they need to engage with, social issues and importantly an Employee Relations (ER) linkage. • There is scope to utilise the GCE as a hugely appropriate vehicle to help address venue education about current Workplace Relations ER practices. This would be done via a genuine ER Audit and Compliance Health check and the provision of support becoming a requirement to access GCE “Seal of Approval” status, venue staff are customers of the business. ER practitioners in the THA continue to put in place proactive management support of the employment cycle from entry to exit, and address any identified gaps that can reduce potential mitigation exposure including adverse action. o As part of the GCE process, venues will address workplace relations where, subject to genuine gap analysis that includes ER

April 2018 www.tha.asn.au

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Audit compliance checks, gaps are identified for training and support as a structured process for industry members who need it. With a major ingredient for Apprentice and Trainee success being better skilled and competent leadership of venues within the industry this is a critical area of focus. o ER in THA must provide identified venues genuine professional support in terms of structure reviews. This will ensure the “high-end” support required, including systems and processes are at industry best practice level. This process as part of a GCE sign-off is a good fit.

The social issues we will be looking at including are important for venue staff: o

Issues like how to deal with workplace issues and affected patrons from:

Drug usage Mental health issues Bullying Racism and Others

Training:

o We will continue to roll out our “at the venue”, “free to the venue”, “done when the venue wants it” non accredited training packages. o We are now getting better traction with this and that will grow – there is fantastic feedback. The THA has a view that the focus on these issues is heavily linked to building stronger workplace environments that will build capacity in the industry to better manage employment.

If you want to know more – email [email protected] or [email protected] and we’ll include you in the program.

April 2018 www.tha.asn.au

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Article

MERV SALTMARSH - ER & Business Improvement Manager

Casual Employment

How much notice should we give a casual employee? The following questions are often asked via our office. Q. We have a casual employee whose services are no longer required. The employee was offered full-time employment but declined. He has been employed for about 18 months and works 20 hours per week. The National Employment Standards provide a minimum period of notice when an employee is terminated, which is based on years of continuous service with the employer. In this case, the employee has been employed continuously, but on a casual basis. Do we give the employee two weeks’ notice of termination or is a casual employee excluded from notice of termination provisions? A. While a ‘regular casual’ is usually able to access certain employment entitlements under the Fair Work Act, such as parental leave and unfair dismissal, this does not extend to an entitlement to minimum notice periods. The Fair Work Act (s123(1)(b)) excludes a casual employee from Division 11 – Notice of termination and redundancy pay. Therefore, a casual employee employed on a regular and systematic basis is still a type of casual employee. Consequently, the terms (if any) of the

applicable modern award or enterprise agreement will determine whether a casual employee is entitled to receive a period of notice of termination. Generally, an award or agreement does not prescribe a period of notice of termination, rather a minimum payment for work performed by the casual employee on the day may apply. For example, the Clerks – Private Sector Award 2010 (cl 12.4) provides that a casual employee is entitled to a minimum payment of three hours’ work at the appropriate rate, meaning a casual employee dismissed after one hour’s work is entitled to three hours pay at the casual hourly rate. Who else is excluded from minimum notice requirements? Casual employees are not the only category of employee excluded from the notice of termination provisions under the Fair Work Act. The Act also excludes the following categories of employees: • An employee engaged under a contract of employment for a specified period of time, a specified task, or a specified season • An employee whose employment was terminated because of serious misconduct • An employee (other than an apprentice)

to whom a training arrangement applies and whose employment is for a specified period of time or is, for any reason,limited to the duration of the training arrangement • A daily hire employee working in the building and construction industry • A daily hire employee working in the meat industry in connection with the slaughter of livestock • A weekly hire employee working in connection with the meat industry and whose termination is determined solely by seasonal factors. As mentioned previously, the minimum period of notice of termination provided by the applicable modern award or enterprise The answer to the above question is based on the presumption the employee is a casual employee. This can be difficult to determine in some circumstances. It is important to determine the nature of the employment relationship: a casual employee, generally, does not have access to entitlements available to part-time or Casual Employment of weekly employees, such as paid annual leave, paid personal/carer’s leave, public holidays, notice of termination, etc. agreement is still enforceable. What is casual employment?

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This also needs constant review by the employer as the nature of a position may change during the course of employment. The Fair Work Act does not define the meaning of ‘casual employee’ so this term has its own general meaning as determined by case law. The following factors have been considered in case law as relevant indicators of the existence of a casual employment relationship. It should be noted this is not exhaustive, nor is any particular factor a greater determinant of the question. • The way in which wages are paid – hourly rates are more consistent with casual employment than are weekly wages • The period of time over which the employment extends – the longer the length of service the less likely the employee is a casual employee • The number of hours worked per week – the more numerous the hours worked the less likely the employee is a casual employee • Whether the employee had a consistent starting and set finishing time – the more consistent the hours the less likely the employee is casual • Whether the employee worked according to a roster system that was published in advance – the more regular and planned are the hours the less likely the employee is casual • Whether there was a reasonable mutual expectation of continuity of employment – if

so, the less likely the employee is a casual • Whether notice was required by the employer prior to the employee being absent or on leave – if so, the less likely the employee is a casual • Whether the employee was informed of the casual nature of the employment – if not, the employee is less likely to be casual. Unfair Dismissal Under the Fair Work Act (FWA) part-time and full-time workers may be able to challenge an unfair dismissal, but what about casual workers who make up one fifth of the Australian workforce? What rights do they have? Read on and find out. Generally speaking, casual workers are not afforded the right to make a claim of unfair dismissal even if they believed it was harsh, unjust or unreasonable. Workers who are able to bring an action of unfair dismissal are covered by a modern award or an enterprise agreement – avenues which a casual employee may not be able to pursue. So, where does this leave the casual employee? Well, a casual employee who has been employed on a regular and systematic basis, with a reasonable expectation of continuing in their course of employment, might be able to bring a claim of unfair dismissal. It should be noted that a casual employee must be employed for at least six months in a business that has more than 15 employees, or for 12

months in a small business in order to bring a claim for unfair dismissal. Australian case law has reinforced the regular and systematic employment requirements under the Fair Work Act and has made further additions to what constitutes regular and systematic work. The courts have judged that if the number of hours worked were small, and the days of work irregular, further proof may be needed in order to show that a casual employee has been regularly employed by the company. However, if there was a clear pattern of rostered hours, proof of regular employment might be established in such a circumstance. Furthermore, if the number of hours a casual has worked exceeds a full-time workload, this may be used as proof of regular and systematic employment. So, casual employees aren’t completely denied from making a claim against unfair dismissal.

April 2018 www.tha.asn.au

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Article

JOHN FITZGERALD- Tourism Tasmania CEO

This time last year I was thrilled to report that a record number of international visitors came to Tasmania in 2016. Twelve months on and the latest International Visitor Survey shows international visitors grew by a further 18 percent, with Tassie welcoming 279 000 overseas visitors. Not only did we set a new record for the state but we also achieved the highest rate of international growth of all Australian states and territories. Our key international markets are driving exceptional international growth from China (up 60%), Canada (up 53%), Germany (up 45%) and the USA (up 33%). These visitors spent a record $497 million last year with international leisure visitors staying an average 12.3 nights in the state compared to an average of 8.6 nights for domestic leisure visitors. There is no doubt the profile of our award- winning tourism products and experiences, combined with our premium food and drink, are making Tasmania a must-visit destination for more international and interstate travellers. This was certainly echoed at the recent Australian Tourism Awards where Tasmania came home with three gold, five silver and four bronze, plus the Tasmanian Walking Company was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Congratulations to all the Tasmanian winners and nominees on such an outstanding achievement. You may have heard that Tourism Tasmania’s first ever international TV campaign recently

ran in the UK. The campaign, titled Under Down Under, featured iconic images and animals, encapsulating the uniqueness of Tasmania and urged potential visitors to uncover the hidden gem of Australia and discover the nation’s best kept secret. Our research tells us that February to May is the key booking period for UK travellers looking for their next big overseas holiday, so we aired the TVC at just the right time to promote Tasmania during a UK winter when many are inside imagining their next escape. Our research also shows that it’s the right time to invest in the United Kingdom to take advantage of a rebound in consumer confidence. The market was also well prepared through multiple flight deals, offers and content about Australia – especially through a campaign which kicked off in January run by Tourism Australia, Flight Centre and Etihad. This month we have wrapped up our summer advocacy competition and campaign #TassieStyle. The popularity of #TassieStyle showed that there is a lot of love for our state from locals and tourists alike. More than 37 000 entries were received for the competition element of the campaign, revealing people’s personal TassieStyle experiences over the summer months. The campaign has performed far better than we ever imagined. I want to extend a big thank you to all the local hospitality operators, tourism operators and promotional partners

who got involved and encouraged so many visitors and locals to post photos of their TassieStyle experience. Things won’t be slowing down for us anytime soon. We are working on the next big campaign and are also getting out on the road to share an update on Tourism Tasmania’s activities and engage with industry stakeholders. If you would like to get along to a session in your region, keep an eye out for a ‘save the date’ via industry communications from your regional tourism organisation. Plus, don’t forget to sign up to our new look email newsletter Tourism Talk – subscribe via www.tourismtasmania.com.au I’m also looking forward to presenting at the TICT’s Better Together conference next month with our Chief Marketing Officer, Emma Terry. We will be providing an update of Tourism Tasmania’s current marketing campaigns and strategies. The conference has a jam-packed program including tourism skills workshops and plenty of opportunity for networking. I encourage you to check it out. As we ease into the cooler months, it is pertinent to reflect on the past season and acknowledge all the hard work our businesses, and the people behind them, have contributed to our visitor economy. Working together, I am confident our state’s tourism industry will continue to flourish and grow and achieve our shared goals in 2018.

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April 2018 www.tha.asn.au

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Article

MAX HITCHINS - Hotel Manager DOES NOT understand Networking

Alex is a Sydney Hotel Manager. He definitely does not understand Networking. Let me explain why by way of this true story. LinkedIn.com is a Networking site, it was set up to promote and assist those who choose to join it. It is an excellent site and I highly recommend it. But you need think about how use it effectively. I am the author of a series of Memory eBooks title “How To Develop A Memory Like An Elephant.” These eBooks focus on Remembering Names, Remembering Lists, Remembering Speeches, Remembering where you put your keys, glasses, wallet or mobile phone. You can check them out at HospitalityDoctor.com.au Recently I sent a a series of short personal messages to all my Linked In connections. I wrote: “Hello Alex. We are connected on LinkedIn and I thought this information might be useful to help you remember names. Memory Tip 1. Have you ever forgotten a name less than three seconds after you have been introduced?” “Try this idea. As soon as you meet someone and you hear their name ask them to ‘spell’ their name. This will give you some ‘breathing space’ to focus on the name and try to commit it to memory. More Memory Moments at HospitalityDoctor.com.au”

I have had hundreds of replies thanking me for this Memory Tip. I always reply with “Your most welcome, Jane/John/Jill. More memory tips to come.” But, Alex replied to me saying “Please don’t send me these types of messages. I’m on Linked In for networking purposes, not to be spammed with sales.” And I thought “Alex, you simply don’t understand Networking!” Trying to connect with new people and introduce them to our business is one of the most important things we do in the Hospitality Industry. But it is not just a matter a putting your name on a list and hoping other people might contact you. It might have worked fifty years ago (although I doubt it!) But it simply doesn’t work in today’s business world. You need to earn the right to do business and talk and meet with new people. Pre Social Media days most business minded people would go to as many functions as possible and endeavour to meet as many people as possible and give them your business card…and hope they contacted you. It still happens. I always thought it much better to meet fewer people, but endeavour to make it a ‘quality meeting’. I found it worked better if I asked “Is there anything I can do to help you in your business?”

With Social Media networking the same principle applies but the technique is a little different. I have found anticipating a need is even better. Hence, the Memory Tip idea. Everyone I know HAS FORGOTTEN a name less than three seconds after they have been introduced! Almost everyone I know (excluding Alex) is delighted to receive a suggestion on how to solve the problem. As I said above I have had hundreds of replies thanking me for this Memory Tip. Hence, I have built and will continue to build a much stronger relationship with all these people who have taken the time to write to say ‘thanks’. As well, the traffic to my web site HospitalityDoctor.com.au has increased dramatically. If I were Alex I’d be looking for a similar idea to attract his Linked In connections to his Hotel. Believe me just putting your name up and hoping people will contact you simply doesn’t work! By line: Check out www.HospitalityDoctor.com. au for details of How To Develop a Memory Like An Elephant.

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