CALLS for a review of penalty rates have been welcomed by managers of two Jimboomba restaurants.
Queensland Premier Campbell Newman last week urged the federal government to review penalty rates and their impact on local businesses.
The Premier said penalty rates had made it uneconomical for many businesses, particularly those in the hospitality and tourism industries, to open on weekends and public holidays.
Cafe on Cusack owner Jodi Maher said a review was needed.
"Wages are a killer, it's our biggest expense, and so I definitely support a review of penalty rates," she said.
She said she paid a couple of hundred dollars extra in wages at the weekend, which added up to a significant cost over time.
Michelle O'Callaghan, CEO of The Coffee Club Jimboomba, said the conversation around penalty rates was one worth having.
"It is about striking a balance. Modern awards have been in place for about four years and now is probably the right time to have a look at the way they are working to ensure they work for both employees and employers," she said.
"Customers' expectations about when businesses will be open have changed a lot in recent years.
"Penalty rates as they stand at present make it hard to always provide hours for our workers and so whatever comes out of any review needs to be a situation where employers can afford to employ people."
The federal government last month asked the Fair Work Commission to look at penalty rates in its review of the award wage system.
The move angered unions who say many workers in the hospitality industries rely on penalty rates to live.
