Do I need to pay staff for opening and closing times?
A common question we get asked is, “do I need to pay staff for opening and closing times?” So, what is the answer? As an employer, you are required to pay your staff for their time. If you expect them to arrive early to open up your business or stay late, you must pay them. This […]
Important changes to the General Retail Award
Have you heard about the General Retail Award changes? If you employ staff under the General Retail Award, important changes now apply. Earlier this month, Fair Work announced significant variations to penalty rates effective from Monday, 1 March 2021. So, what exactly has changed? The penalty rate paid to a casual working on a Sunday […]
Do I need to pay an employee if they do not work on a Public Holiday?
Do I need to pay an employee if they do not work on a Public Holiday? We often get asked variations of this common question by employers in the lead-up to the holidays. Last week, we got asked, “if an employee usually works 10 hours per day, do they still get paid for 10 hours […]
When can an employee use sick leave?
Let’s talk about sick leave. When can an employee use sick leave? Is it only for instances where they are sick or have an injury? Or can an employee also use it for pre-arranged appointments? Appointments such as elective surgeries and medical consultations? Here is what you need to know. An employee can use sick leave […]
Procedural fairness and your employer obligations
Let’s talk about procedural fairness. Do you understand your employer obligations when terminating an employee? We recently answered this question. “Over time, I have given my employee several warnings (both written an verbal). Can I dismiss them without giving them a right of reply?” ANSWER No, you shouldn’t. Firstly, employees are entitled to an […]
Parental leave and your employer obligations
Parental leave, do you know your employer obligations? With the Toowoomba region topping the state for most babies born in 2020, understanding parental leave and employee rights is important. So, what exactly do you need to know? An employee has the right to come back to the job they had before going on leave. They’re […]
Minimum wage increase set to take effect from 1 February 2021
Last year, the Fair Work Commission increased the national minimum wage by 1.75% using a three-stage, staggered approach. From 1 February 2021, the third and final stage will take effect. So, what does this mean for you as a business owner? If you employ staff under a Modern Award listed in Group 3, their wage […]
The Pastoral Award: Time not worked due to wet weather
Do you employ people under the Pastoral Award? We recently got asked this question. “Our cattle enterprise employs staff under the Pastoral Award. We would like to know, if it’s too wet for farm work, how should time not worked be treated?” So, what is the answer? Firstly, as the Pastoral Award makes no reference […]
Leave without pay and public holidays
Do you have staff taking leave without pay over the holidays? Do you know your employer obligations for public holidays that fall during leave without pay? Read the below Q&A to get up-to-speed. QUESTION We have a number of employees taking leave without pay over the Christmas and New Year period. Are we still […]
Changes to casual overtime rates
Overtime provisions in several modern awards have been amended for casual employees from the first full pay period on or after 20 November 2020. The changes made by the Fair Work Commission (FWC) aim to simplify overtime for casual employees and reduce common confusion around casual loading versus overtime penalty rates. Making variations to several awards, casual […]