Parliament passes JobKeeper 2.0

In the middle of the image is a black analogue alarm clock showing 7:00 and around it are Australian money notes falling down.

This afternoon, Parliament passed the Coronavirus Economic Response Package (Jobkeeper Payments) Amendment Bill 2020 which gives effect to the previously announced extension of the JobKeeper Payment Scheme until 28 March 2021. To continue participating in the scheme after 27 September 2020, employers will need to meet revised eligibility requirements, and reassess their eligibility for each subsequent phase of…

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Important ‘stand down’ information for Victorian employers

A photo of worker's torso who is wearing a black apron and holding a dark brown notebook - similar to the ones waitresses use to write down menu orders.

From midnight on Wednesday, 5 August 2020, Victoria will enter Stage 4 restrictions and all non-essential retailers located in the Melbourne metropolitan area will be restricted to contactless ‘click and collect’ and delivery services. The restrictions will last for at least the next 6 weeks, and as such it is important for retailers to understand…

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JobKeeper extended to March 2021, but important changes are on the way

a close up photo of australian money - a ten dollar note, a twenty dollar note, a one hundred dollar note, a fifty dollar note, a two dollar coin and three one dollar coins.

Today, the Prime Minister announced that the JobKeeper package would be extended from 27 September 2020 until 28 March 2021. This news comes as welcome relief as businesses still struggle with uncertainty, particularly with the situation in Victoria demonstrating how quickly circumstances can change. There will, however, be changes to both the amount of the JobKeeper payments…

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FWC finds the limits to JobKeeper stand downs

a close up photo of a simple calendar with red crosses over the majority of the dates

The Fair Work Commission has, for the first time in the short life of the JobKeeper jurisdiction, tested exactly how far a JobKeeper stand down direction can go in reducing an employee’s hours. In a decision handed down earlier this week, Deputy President Peter Anderson determined that the employer had gone too far in reducing…

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Casuals and Jobkeeper: casual absenteeism and disciplinary processes

A photo of three empty white chairs with silver legs in a row

Although reasonably new (and still changing), the JobKeeper program has, so far, had a mixed effect on businesses. Whilst some employers have embraced it wholeheartedly others, especially those with a workforce comprised largely of casual employees usually earning less than $1,500 a fortnight, have been more hesitant to undertake the significant cost increase to meet…

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