The perils of employing casuals has hit the media again. Back in 2018, the Federal Court determined in WorkPac Pty Ltd v Skene that a casual employee may be able to claim annual leave and personal leave even though they were knowingly engaged as a casual employee and were paid the applicable loadings.  Or in simple terms – double dip.  Naturally enough, this set off alarm bells for employers with casual team members but a case that was decided this month has further ramifications.

Covid-19 has resulted in a huge work from home experiment that may result in changing the way many businesses operate when restrictions lift and we move to our new normal.  As many business leaders have learned, the sky hasn’t fallen in with teams working off site but others have come to understand that some employees are better suited to working on site.  With any new process, it’s worth looking at the learnings we can take from this experience and weigh up the pros and cons to help you decide how you direct your teams when the world opens up again.

HR Staff n’ Stuff are huge advocates of having clear and appropriate policies in place to protect both the employer as well as your employees.  They establish standards of behaviour and allow for consistent and fair responses from employers if they are breached.  If established correctly, communicated clearly to employee and consistently adhered to, they are a valuable asset when an employer needs to defend themselves in an unfair dismissal claim.  However, use them inconsistently and it will cost you!

​The JobKeeper Scheme is an extremely important piece of the survival puzzle for many businesses and, as with many decisions occurring during the pandemic, adjustments and updates have occurred along the way.   There have been a few – mostly helpful – updates to the JobKeeper Scheme that have come into play as it goes live.  To make it easier for you, we have a quick overview.