Labour Weekend

22 October 2018 -

Local businesses love long term and returning staff; they know what to expect, they’re trained, and they know how the town works. So do we do enough to lure our recruits into professional longevity? Most small businesses are not in a position to install their staff in a luxury villa on Queenstown Hill, and some staff will depart regardless but how, aside from not paying mimimum wage, can we endeavour to keep them around?

At The Cow we like to say thank you by treating them to an outing – an opportunity to enjoy some of the things that brings tourists to Queenstown from around the world. This year we closed for a day, took the Earnslaw to Walter Peak for lunch followed by a trip on KJet and pizza and a drink at The Cow. We also ensure our staff keep their tips, which can make a significant difference to their weekly income. Pooling tips to pay for a staff party, seemingly a growing trend, feels like a way of making staff pay for their own party. Haggis at Brown’s Ski Shop has just treated all of his winter crew to a day of heliskiing. They’ve posted photos on Instagram using the hashtag #ourbossisbetterthanyourboss so we’re picking Haggis doesn’t have staff retention issues.

Staff kindness policies have become increasingly common in recent years with business bigwigs like Google and Virgin; such modern ideas as flexibility in working hours and annual leave. We are probably a wee way off managing anything too groundbreaking in the local tourism and hospitality industry but we’ve come a long way from the time of the first Labour Day in 1980, and few would argue it would benefit us all if our wee towns had reputations as good places to work.