​Australia has worked hard to reduce the infection rate of Covid-19 and as Melbourne prepares to move out of Stage 4 lock down and businesses start to reopen, we all need to consider how we are going to operate within the new Covid normal.  We need to learn to exist in this strange new world in a manner that supports all the hard work that has gone into reducing infection numbers and the unknown community transmission cases because the virus is still present and is likely to be around for a long time to come.  

​With the end of the original JobKeeper program coming to an end on 27th September 2020, the legislation to extend JobKeeper until 28 March 2021 has now passed Parliament.
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There are some important points to note regarding ongoing JobKeeper wage subsidy eligibility as well as changes to the Job Keeper Enabling Directions that many businesses have relied upon to get through the last months in a manageable way.

​Australian law dictates that businesses are required to register and pay for workers compensation insurance.  This provision ensures that your employees will be financially protected if they are injured at work and can also fund beneficial programs such as return to work so that you get your good people back on deck.  But like anything that is meant to serve the greater good, there are those that choose to attempt to misuse this insurance.  Let’s take a look at a real-life example one of our clients endured recently…

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​In the midst of the craziest year most of us have ever lived through, we finally see a sliver of light with a common sense decision coming out of the High Court.  Court decisions don’t always make for very exciting reading but we think this one is definitely worth highlighting given the implications of the original ruling for businesses. ​