Coronavirus (COVID-19) and key employment changes
In almost every area of the law, there have been changes to existing rules and procedures to help deal with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This is especially true in employment law. Set out below are some of the key changes to legislation and modern awards that have been introduced over the last week that employers need to be […]
What happens during annual leave if your employee gets sick?
Planning an Easter holiday? With less than one month on the calendar, now is the time to encourage your employees to get their annual leave paperwork rolling. BUT what happens if your employee’s holiday plans get placed on hold because they get sick? Can they opt to take sick leave instead or is it a […]
Determining an employee’s classification level
Do you know how to determine an employee’s classification level if they complete a varied workload? We recently answered this common, small business question. QUESTION In my small business, our receptionist also processes our financial transactions and completes payroll. Should I be paying them based on their reception role or something else? ANSWER To […]
Restaurant Award changes
Changes to the Restaurant Award came into effect from the first full pay period on or after 23 January 2020. So, as an employer what do you need to know? Casual employees who work more than 10 hours are now entitled to the same number of paid meal breaks as full-time and part-time employees working […]
Mobile phones and driving employer provided vehicles
Do your employees drive a company vehicle? New penalties are now in place across Queensland when using mobile phones. So, what exactly does this mean and is there anything you should be doing as an employer? Any person caught touching their mobile phone while driving will face $1,000 fine and four demerit points. Double demerits […]
New Year HR Tip | Position Descriptions and their benefits
Do you provide your employees with position descriptions OR do you prefer to adopt a more *flexible* approach? The truth is, position descriptions offer many business benefits. Drive employee ownership. Set clear expectations and priorities. Help trace the skills and abilities you seek for the position. Well-written job descriptions complement the hiring process, supporting sound […]
Employee notice periods and changing them
Can you change employee notice periods? We were recently asked this question. Our employees currently provide notice based on their years of service but we would like to extend this for every one to four weeks. Can we do this and keep the employer notice period to the National Employment Standard (NES) requirements? Or does […]
Staff leave during the Christmas shutdown
Do you understand your employer obligations during the Christmas shutdown? If your business is shutting down over Christmas, it’s important to know what happens with staff who don’t have enough annual leave to cover the period. We recently answered this question: QUESTION | We currently offer our team the option to take advanced annual leave […]
Casual Pay Rates 101
Are you hiring casuals over the holiday period? Do you understand casual pay rates and how they work? Our resident HR expert, Lisa has some info to help. *Casual pay rates are broken down into an hourly rate and penalty rates. Depending on the award or agreement, will depend on the hourly rate of pay. […]
Understanding carer and compassionate leave
Do you understand compassionate leave and your obligations as an employer? Requesting to take time off to care for a loved one during terminal circumstances can be an emotional time for anyone. As an employer, having accurate information helps you to support your employees if and when this sensitive issue arises. We recently received this […]