Yes you can.
Can I direct my team to work different hours or in a different place, even if they have been stood down?
Yes you can.
You must consult with your employee before directing them to change their work hours, work at a different location, or work differently.
These changes must be beneficial for the ongoing employment of themselves and/or other employees.
Can I direct employees to take annual leave?
Yes you can. This can be at full pay or half pay.
So long as the employee still has two weeks annual leave left at the conclusion of the leave.
Can I reduce an employees hourly rate?
No. Hourly rates must be maintained.
What about those on annualised salaries?
For those on annualised salaries, prorated payments based on work done would be ideal.
If there is no work, they can be put on 0 hours per the above and paid the $1500 per fortnight.
What about leave and public holidays?
A JobKeeper direction does not apply while an employee is taking paid or unpaid leave authorised by the employer. (e.g. annual leave), or is otherwise authorised to be absent (for example, on a public holiday).
What sort of notice do I need to give of a change?
Three days written notice.
The direction is then in place until revoked or withdrawn by the employer.
What about employee entitlement accruals?
Employees accrue at the rate they otherwise would have.
All periods count toward continuous service for the purposes of long service leave etc
How much do I have to pay each eligible employee per fortnight
A minimum of $1500 gross
And yes, the payments must actually be paid for that fortnight (you can’t pay it later)
What if I don’t have the money?
In short – you need to talk to you to your bank.Part of the changes made are to make funds more accessible by more companies from more institutions.
How and when do I get my money?
In most cases the Tax Commissioner will deposit the cash into the same account your tax return goes into.
Payments will be made from the first week of May.
What if it all goes pear shaped?
HR Central advise taking a strong employee relations approach, talk to your people and try to get a win-win as much as possible.
If that doesn’t work, the Fair Work Commission will be able to resolve disputes, including by arbitration
Can my employee work elsewhere if I don’t have work?
If it is a reasonable request, you should give permission to your employee to seek reasonable secondary employment
What if I need to make someone redundant?
You don’t make someone redundant, you make a role redundant.
If an employees role is redundant, and there is no other work they could do, we would recommend you stand them down and involve them in the JobKeeper program
Can an employee take carers leave/personal leave if they have to home school their child?
Generally speaking, no.
If it were an emergency where the school was shut down short term on short notice – that would be different.
In the case for example of term two being setup for home schooling in Victoria, with ample notice, we would recommend talking to your employee about their options around Annual, Long Service or Unpaid leave.
HR Central is working to support you through the management of your employees during this time. Please call 1300 717 721 or email help@hrcentral.com.au