Craig Laundy has revealed the Laundy Hotels group is struggling to fill shifts in its pubs due to JobKeeper.
The former Liberal frontbencher said some staff would rather stay at home on the $1500-a-fortnight JobKeeper allowance than work.
“There is a minority that it makes sense for them not to work and they’ve been taking the Mickey.”
Laundy told news.com.au that some people who refused to turn up to their shifts were obtaining sick leave certificates to protect their jobs.
“The biggest piss-take of all time, one turned up and said I’ve got mental health issues and I can’t work for a month,’’ he said.
Laundy said one mother had declined Laundy Hotels shifts because she wanted to spend time with her children on JobKeeper.
“When we reopened, I said ‘Righto, come back into work,’ and she said ‘No, I want to spend time with the kids’.
“They are coming up with a range of excuses. I would get off your backside and put your hand up.”
Survey shows hospitality workers suffering financial distress
Hospo Voice, the United Workers Union’s digital union for hospitality workers, released data today from its nationwide #RebuildHospo Survey.
The data showed workers experienced extreme levels of financial distress when the pandemic forced the industry into shutdown overnight.
- 35% had to borrow money from friends or family
- 32% had to access their super
- 30% had to ask for rent reduction or deferral
- 20% had to go without essentials
- 12% had to go to a charity or foodbank
- 10% had move out of their house
- 7% suffered a relationship breakdown
The survey also found that when the pandemic struck 47.5% of hospitality workers had less than a month’s savings in the bank to cover rent, food and bills.
