A cafe named The Good Cartel in Broome, Western Australia is offering potential employees an annual salary of $92,030.
In a recent job advertisement, they stated that they ‘have a reputation for retaining excellent staff who receive excellent pay.’ The advert offered six positions for baristas and kitchen staff. Who wouldn’t be tempted by an almost six-figure package with superannuation?
Those lucky enough to get the job would need to work 47 hours over five days including on the weekends. However, if they don’t want to work weekends they can still earn $83,001.
Kitchen staff can earn themselves a similar deal. If they work 55 hours per week including weekends they could see a yearly income of $112,464.
Jack Kain, who owns the cafe, told Perth News about how hard it has been to employ new staff after lockdown. He stated this as a factor in the increased pay
‘It’s a better than usual strategy now with the labour shortage, which has now fallen well and truly off the cliff’, he explained.
‘When you combine this with the rental shortage and all of the various Covid restrictions incoming it’s going to be challenging.’
The cafe was due to open its doors earlier this week but this was delayed due to shortages.
Following the reopening of the Western Australian borders this month, small business owners like this one say that there has been an influx of tourists, meaning their businesses are booming once more.
This is not an isolated incident of a business having to increase its wages due to staff shortages caused by the pandemic.
Last November, it was reported that many of Australia’s top businesses were offering large salaries as the hospitality sector grew suddenly post-lockdown.
A top restaurant, Rockpool Bar and Grill, in Sydney which is owned by celebrity chef Neil Perry was apparently advertising dishwashing jobs at $90 per hour to help cope with demand.
Even with the pay rise they still struggled with Executive Chef Corey Costello commenting that he couldn’t ‘get them to work.’
Businesses also offered their employees cash bonuses as an incentive.
Owner of Bondi’s Pompei pizza restaurant George Pompei said he offered would-be staff a $2,000 bonus, but applicants turned it down as they wanted to stay on JobSeeker.
After reading that, I think anybody could be tempted into moving down under.