31/07/2017 The Executive Director NSW Industrial Relations GPO Box 5469 Sydney NSW 2001
Dear Sir, RE:
APPLICATION BY SUNCORP BANK TO OPEN ON A BANK CLOSE DAY SATURDAY & SUNDAY
Suncorp-Metway Ltd ("Suncorp") seeks approval under section 14G of the Retail Trading Act 2008 ("RT Act") to open its Shelley Street store for the provision of retail banking services in New South Wales between the hours of 10:00am and 4.00pm on each and every Saturday and Sunday of the calendar year, except for those Saturdays and Sundays that fall on a restricted trading day. Suncorp submits that it is in the public interest for the Shelley Street store to open on Saturdays and Sundays. The Shelley Street store is a newly built store located in a peak city street within the Barangaroo precinct, which also has high customer traffic on weekends. Our customer research has informed us that customers want us to be available when it is convenient for them which includes after business hours and weekends. For the reasons set out below, the public interest is met. The details of the application are provided below as responses to the checklist published by the Department and in accordance with requirements of section 14H of the RT Act: 1.
This is a store-specific application the Shelley Street store located at shop no. 65, 1O Shelley Street, Sydney, NSW 2000.
2.
The close day pertaining to this application is each Saturday and Sunday for each week of the year except for those Saturdays and Sundays that fall on a restricted trading day. The intended hours of opening of Shelley Street store is 10:00am to 4:00pm.
3.
Suncorp has held discussions with the FSU about the proposal to open the Shelley Street store on Saturdays and Sundays. The FSU supports Suncorp's application to open on the Bank Holiday.
4.
The grounds relied upon for this request include: • the Shelley Street store is located within the Barangaroo precinct, which operates seven days per week. The banking services proposed to be offered by Suncorp on a Saturday and Sunday Shelley Street store will be the same as those currently offered by the store on non Bank Close Days. • Our research shows that customers like the convenience of banking at times they are available. Weekend opening hours will enable Suncorp to provide exceptional customer experiences to busy local customers who are unable to fulfill their banking needs during the week. • Working on a Saturday or Sunday will be voluntary for all employees in the Shelley Street store and we will ensure they understand this.
6.
Suncorp submits that it is beneficial for the Shelley Street store to be open seven days for customers and the general public. Shelley Street will have the ability to run weekend workshops to support customers who are unable to visit during the week. If this application is approved, this store will offer full banking services through self-service technology, supported by staff, in addition to offering insurance and financial advisory services through its related entities. Our customer research has responded extremely positively to the full service financial services offering.
7.
The Shelley Street store is the only Suncorp store located within the Sydney CBD area which
would be open on weekends. Extending the Shelley Street store's operating hours on
weekends will enable Suncorp to service its CBD customer base and fulfil its customers'
weekend banking needs, particularly for business customers such as cafes and restaurants
which are also operational on weekends. 8.
At Suncorp, the security, safety and well-being of all our employees is of the utmost importance. We ensure that our store security measures provide the safest possible environment for our employees. There will be a minimum of two employees in the sfore at all times to ensure safety and wellbeing of our employees. To further ensure safety and wellbeing, all our Suncorp stores are monitored by our Security Monitoring Centre which operates every hour of every day. Employees have ready access to a personal duress device where the activation of these alarms will send an immediate signal to the Security Monitoring Centre for instant action and police notification.
9.
All Suncorp employees in the store are covered by the terms and conditions of the Suncorp Group Enterprise Agreement 2015 ("the EA"). Employees will be paid relevant overtime or penalties in accordance with the EA. A copy of the EA is attached. In accordance with clause 58.1 (a) of the EA, where an eligible employee meets the definition of a Rostered Employee, they will be entitled to a 100 percent penalty rate for all hours worked on a Saturday and Sunday excluding ordinary hours. Otherwise double time is paid for every hour worked outside of ordinary hours on Saturdays and Sundays to be eligible employees in accordance with clause 57.2 of the EA. Saturdays between 8:00am and 12:00pm are considered ordinary hours. Fixed Salary employees that are a Rostered Employee as defined by the EA will have a minimum fixed salary that is 25 percent higher than the minimum applying to their pay band.
10.
Employees within the Shelley Street store will complete an availabilities schedule every three months to indicate what weekends they are available or unavailable to work. Rosters are released four weeks in advance. If an employee wishes to 'opt out' of working weekends on an ongoing basis, the employee will need to indicate this to their leader at least two weeks in advance of the roster being issued. After an employee has 'opted out' of working weekends ongoing, the employee will need to indicate they are unavailable for weekends in the availabilities schedule ongoing. Employees can 'opt in' to work weekends and 'opt out' should their circumstances change. In addition, employees who 'opt in' can advise of their unavailability either temporarily or on a permanent basis in advance and that will be taken into account when preparing rosters. Resourcing in this store will be increased to ensure we have adequately trained, suitable employees during the proposed extended trading days.
11.
There will be no additional fees or charges imposed on customers who use the services of the Shelley Street store on Bank Close Days.
12. The contact details of the person who is authorised by Suncorp to be the contact officer is:
Suncorp 31/07/2017
