Parramatta hospitality staff work the longest hours in Australia

Author: FoodPEEPS

Hospitality workers in Parramatta are putting in more hours on longer shifts with less warning than staff anywhere else in Australia, according to new research from workforce platform Deputy.

Deputy's analysis, titled Australia's hardest-working regions, compared 84 regions against a national benchmark. Each region was scored on average weekly hours, average shift length, the share of weekend shifts and several other measures of pressure on staff. Parramatta topped the hospitality index with a score of 74.81.

What the numbers show

In Parramatta, hospitality staff work about 25 per cent more hours each week than the national average. Their shifts run around 12 per cent longer. They also get roughly 15 per cent less notice of their rosters than expected.

Sydney Inner South West came a close second. Its average shift of 7.6 hours was the longest of any region in the study. Evening and overnight shifts were 16.7 per cent more common there than expected while roster notice was 12 per cent shorter.

The highest ranked region outside Sydney was Logan and Beaudesert in Queensland, in third place. Staff there receive about four days of roster notice on average, which is around 29 per cent less than expected. Launceston and North East Tasmania sat at the other end of the table with the lowest demands on hospitality workers. Six of the top 10 regions were in Sydney.

Why roster notice matters

Long hours draw attention but short notice may cause just as much strain. A roster that lands a day or two before the week starts makes it hard for staff to plan study, family time or a second job. Over time that kind of uncertainty can push good people out of the industry.

What operators can do

•      Publish rosters as far ahead as trade allows, even as a draft that may change slightly

•      Use past sales data to forecast busy periods so rosters can be set earlier

•      Review long shifts and split shifts during peak periods

•      Give staff an easy way to set availability and swap shifts

•      Track sick leave and turnover as early signs of fatigue

Operators should also check their rostering obligations under the relevant award with the Fair Work Ombudsman.

Source: Deputy research, as reported by Hospitality Magazine, November 2026.