But with penalty rate legislation a constant grind for many small businesses, keeping things that way can be a delicate balancing act for its proprietor.

The Best Street coffee roaster is currently trialling just how viable being open on Sunday is.

Until recently, pay rates have kept them shut and coffee-goers more than likely frothing as a result.

Now, the impact of penalties on employers is front and centre of a federal government submission to a Fair Work Commission (FWC) review of modern awards.

The four-yearly review, due to be finished by mid next year, will allow decisions to be made on varying minimum pay and conditions across the 122 awards which cover most Australian employees.

It's the most comprehensive review since the introduction of the Fair Work Act in 2009.

The Blessed Bean proprietor, Jason Dowding, said penalty rates were under constant consideration and employee morale was vital.

"They're huge, we always consider (penalties) when we roster people on," Mr Dowding said.

"It's fine to get paid a lot of money but whether we can afford it is another thing.

"It definitely affects us, our employees are our number one priority.

"You have to balance the pros and cons of penalty rates."

Mr Dowding said the Sunday trading trial had only been in place for about a month and was "going well" considering the time of year.

Up to five people - aged between 18 and 25 - work the shift to ensure every customer is catered for.

"We've just decided to have a go and see if it's viable," he said.

"We always wanted to offer it ... with the penalty rates it's not always worth it.

"It's very hard to make money on those days, unless you've got a good turnover."

Mr Dowding said he would open 24/7 if the support from the community was there.

The Blessed Bean also has a cafe at Wagga Airport which Mr Dowding said was "always open".

In its submission to the FWC review, the Department of Employment said modern awards needed to be "responsive to the changing needs and expectations of the community" and support job creation.

"The softening economic environment and labour market should be carefully considered by the commission during the review," it said.

"In particular, the commission should consider the impact of employment costs on employers' decision to hire workers over the next four years."

The government also said the commission should consider whether extra pay for working particular times of the day was "appropriate in a particular industry".

The commission's full bench hearings began yesterday in Melbourne and via video link.

The initial stage will determine the scope of the review and any legislative issues, with further stages to look at award-specific issues in four groups of about 30 awards.

Given that transitional arrangements in most modern awards operate until June 30, the government said any review should be scheduled after that date.

Changes would 'cut the guts out of wages': employee

POTENTIAL changes to penalty rates which effectively 'cut the guts out of wages' don't sit well with those working to keep financially afloat. 

While most of us enjoy a cold beverage next time you're at the pub spare a thought for the person on the other side of the bar. 

There's no denying it can be a hard slog - late nights, plenty of public holiday work and every now and then a few rowdy patrons thrown into the mix.

Wagga bartender Jacob Mintern admitted he wouldn't be pouring schooners if it wasn't for the incentives attached to bar work and neither would many of those he works with.

One of the perks are penalty rates added to the pay packet. Although he isn't at university, the 21-year-old said the extra cash makes life that little bit easier. 

"For people who do work in this kind of industry ... (penalty rates) are a big turn on," Jacob said. 

"A lot of the people that work here go to uni and study, it's a big incentive.""It makes a big difference, the few hundred dollars at the end of the week."

And, while he could understand the rationale behind the government's push to look at penalty rates from an employer's perspective, Jacob said it would effectively cut a hole in the number of employees. 

"It's understandable in a way, why they want to do it, but you just can't just go cutting the guts out of everyone's wage," he said. 

The Fair Work Commission has been asked by the federal government to consider if extra pay for working particular times of the day was "appropriate in a particular industry".

Submission an overall look at business function: McCormack

IT HAS been touted as a Tony Abbott attack on penalty rates but that's not the case according to his Riverina-based representative. 

Member for Riverina, Michael McCormack, said all the Prime Minister had done was state a Labor Party view and raised questions over whether the rates are set where they should be. 

Mr McCormack said he understood both sides of the employer/employee debate and said penalty rates were an overall part of workers being paid a "fair and decent wage".

"It's a fine balance and it needs to reach that happy medium," Mr McCormack said. 

"(The submission is) an overall look at how business functions and how in an economic situation we need to improve things."

Mr McCormack said it was important the government looked at "ways and means to get business back on track", given it was working hard to "pay back the debt" left by the previous government.

Public pressure and financial capacity to make it happen

THE GREAT wage debate - public pressure to have business open versus the financial capacity to make it happen. 

Take a wander down a Wagga street on a Sunday and chances are you'd be hard-pressed to find the door of a small business open. 

It's a constant dilemma faced by owners and penalty rates often play a big part, according to business manager at the Wagga Business Chamber, Larry Buete. 

"For a lot of employers it's a disincentive to open and trade," Mr Buete said. 

"It becomes an exorbitant expense to run your business on those kinds of days."

Mr Buete said the chamber was calling for penalty rates to be "put it in the hands of the businesses and employees" to come up with an arrangement which suits their circumstances. 

"It's far too rigid, the award system now," he said.

"It's a disincentive for businesses to push through productivity increases. 

"It's commonsense, put the flexibility back in the hands of the employer.

"There's hours to be worked, income to be made." 

Mr Buete stressed the chamber didn't want to see employees not being "paid their true value" but said times had changed rapidly in business.

He said it was difficult to run a business on old legislation which doesn't allow for the modern situations.

"You have to be responsive to these sorts of business environments," he said. 

"The economy basically works seven days a week now.

"(Businesses are) hamstrung with the laws as they stand."

Mr Buete said very few businesses opened in Wagga on Sundays and penalty rates were often to blame.

Penalty rates a thing of the past: publican, hotels association rep

A THING of the past. 

As the federal government calls for the impact of penalty rates on employers to be looked at, Wagga's longest-serving publican agrees it's time for change.

It comes amid hearings as part of the Fair Work Commission's (FWC) latest review of minimum pay and conditions beginning in Melbourne yesterday.

Australian Hotels Association (AHA) Wagga district secretary Greg Williams said when other sectors of business weren't at work, those in hospitality were. 

"In an industry forced to trade outside normal hours (penalties) should disappear," Mr Williams said. 

"I think, in regards to the hospitality industry, they are a thing of the past. 

"The hospitality industry deserves different consideration (from the Fair Work Commission)."

Mr Williams said it was his belief that wages had become the "number one burden" on employers in the last few years.

As an example, he said a female staff member currently working at a food and beverage grade one level would earn about $23 an hour at a normal rate. 

That figure would jump to about $29.30 on Saturday and closer to $37 on a Sunday, with a loading applied for hours worked after 7pm. 

Working a public holiday makes the pay jump even further, especially when added extras such as superannuation are taken into account. 

"It's quite a significant cost on business," he said. 

Mr Williams said while often it was up to retail operators to determine their hours of trade, those in hospitality weren't so lucky. 

"Across the board most restaurants are forced to operate at night and on weekends," he said. 

"We don't really have a choice ... you can't say 'it's Sunday today, so everybody has to pay $1 extra for a drink."

In its submission to the FWC, the AHA said more flexibility was needed in regard to part-time work and penalty rates.

"The current provisions are extremely inflexible for both the employee and employer," the submission said. 

The association represents more than 5000 businesses with a wages bill for 278,000 workers of about $5.4 billion a year. 

One-third of AHA members are located in regional areas, where often they are one of the larger employers, the submission read.