In the email, which was sent on Friday, January 20, Thornton reminded staff that, like the last three years, he would work on Thursday, which is Australia day. Staff were invited to do the same.
However, this was not some scheme to get staff to work an extra day; Thornton added that, as with previous years, staff could select another day to take as paid leave.
“This is the third year that we’ve offered our Australian-based staff this option and they can choose to take an alternative day off instead,” he wrote.
The reason for this, Thornton explained, was because of the public holiday’s controversial nature.
“We offer this out of respect and compassion for the fact that our First Nations partners have told us that it is not a date to celebrate,” he wrote, adding that the day was “exceptionally difficult” for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Thornton said listening to, respecting and learning from First Nations peoples was a vital part of their reconciliation journey.
As a nationally recognized holiday, it is not mandatory to work on January 26 in Australia. However, THornton said they wanted to offer employees the chance to.
Whether staff decided to work or take the day off, everyone’s decision would be respected and supported, he added, before reminding people to discuss plans with their manager.
What’s the problem with Australia day?
Australia’s previous Prime Minister Scott Morrison has described Australia Day as a time for Australians from “all walks of life, from all backgrounds” to celebrate the country’s progress.
The day takes place on January 26, to align with when the First Fleet of British convict sips arrived in Sydney, on January 26, 1788. For this reason, many people see the anniversary as celebrating the dispossession and marginalisation of indigenous Australians.
While reconciliation and acknowledgement of past wrongs is important, some claim this should be done on a different day.
