'Openness' is key to navigating politics of Australia Day

Industry leaders suggest more companies should offer employees another day-in-lieu if they would prefer to work on January 26.

Locally, however, some businesses are already ahead of the curve when it comes to providing employees flexibility.

Staff at Tamworth's Central Hospitality (CH) Group, for example, are allowed to choose whether they work not only on Australia Day, but on all public holidays.

Depending on their role they can receive a day in lieu or extra wages for working.

CH Group Owner Jye Segboer says many of his employees have international ties and will choose to work on Australia Day so they can take time off on other cultural or religious holidays.

"One of our values is respect, and we try to ensure all of our staff respect each other's cultural diversity. We have 18 different cultures across our 130-plus staff in the organisation," Mr Segboer said.

"We celebrate multiculturalism and Australia Day, in our opinion, forms a part of that. But we do live by our values of respect and if someone's uncomfortable with Australia Day, or believes it shouldn't take place, then we respect their beliefs and opinions and treat it as any other day."

Intrepid Travel - a company lauded by Forbes last year for raising more than $12 million to support local communities in their travel destinations - says more Australian companies should follow CH Group's example and offer employees another day-in-lieu if they would prefer to work on January 26.

Intrepid's Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand, Brett Mitchell, told the Leader the travel company adopted this policy four years ago after employees raised the issue with management.

"We know it's a very sensitive and complex subject, so five years ago we started talking a lot to our First Nation partners and a lot of our staff," Mr Mitchell said.

"They told us it's not a date to celebrate and as a people-first organisation we listen to our team."

But he also said employers must take into account the needs of all employees, leading to the policy of allowing workers to choose whether to celebrate Australia Day at their own discretion.

"Some staff absolutely want to take the day off and others don't. We don't judge," the managing director said.

Mr Mitchell says it's crucial for any business to maintain open channels of communication on sensitive topics, especially as debates around such issues become increasingly polarised.

Ultimately, he said, the most important thing for business owners is to take a stance that is genuine and in line with established values, especially as consumers become more skeptical of corporate activism.

"It's a good criticism that businesses have been jumping in on topical issues without really having actions, or legacy, or history behind why you're doing things," Mr Mitchell said.