FYI: Your Sunday Penalty Rates Will Officially Be Cut From July 1

No, they weren’t bluffing.

Earlier this year, the Fair Work Commission ruled to slash Sunday and public holiday penalty rates for hospitality, retail, fast food and pharmacy workers.

Turns out, they were being entirely serious.

According to the ABC, those cuts—affecting hundreds of thousands of workers across the country—will go into effect within weeks. (Specifically, from July 1.)

However, in some cases, the full extent of the cuts will not go into effect until 2020.

Fast food and hospitality workers will have their penalty rates reduced by five per cent this year. It will drop a further 10 per cent in both 2018 and 2019.

Ultimately, full-time and part-time fast food workers will see their Sunday wages reduced from 150 per cent to 125 per cent. (Casual staff will see their rate of 175 per cent drop to 150 per cent.) Full-time and part-time hospo employees will see their rates cut from 175 per cent to 150 per cent. (Casual staff will see no change.)

Retail and pharmacy workers will also have their rates of 200 per cent cut by five per cent this year. However, it will drop a further 15 per cent in 2018, 2019 and 2020. Full-time and part-time staff will eventually have their rates cut to 150 per cent. (Casual staff only drop to 175 per cent.)

The ABC has a handy/horrifying calculator that’ll let you know how much money you’ll be losing if you work in any of these sectors. Have fun?

Photo: iStock