? Health News
- Greater Sydney remains in lockdown this week, . If you have been in the Greater Sydney area (including Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour), you must follow the stay at home rules for 14 days after you left the area.
- Tighter restrictions remain in place for regional NSW, including the following requirements:
- You must wear a face mask on public transport and in all indoor non-residential premises (including workplaces). Note: if you are working from home, your home does not count as a workplace.
- Only 5 visitors, including children, can visit another household at any one time.
- Capacity limits have been tightened, and venues may have the greater of 25 people or 1 person per 4 square metres (not including staff or people picking up takeaway food).
- For the full list of current restrictions, visit https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/rules/what-you-can-do-nsw
- From 12 July, all workplaces and retail businesses must use the NSW Government’s QR code to check in all visitors, including customers, staff, contractors and delivery people. For more details, visit: https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/covid-safe/customer-record-keeping/setting-up-electronic-check-and-qr-codes
- The NSW Government has announced further support packages for small businesses, and tourism and hospitality businesses, affected by the pandemic – we will share further details once applications open in the next few weeks.
- Extensive vaccination coverage is the best way for Australia to avoid further lockdowns and manage any outbreaks that do occur. Find out how to book in for your vaccine here: https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/health-and-wellbeing/covid-19-vaccination-nsw/getting-vaccinated
? Regional News
- Additional COVID-19 drive-through testing clinics are now operational at Armidale Regional Airport and St Elmo’s Medical Centre at Inverell. If you have any symptoms or have visited a case location, please get tested as soon as possible and isolate until your result is received.
- One lane of the mountain section of the Oxley Highway should reopen by the end of July after storms caused dozens of landslips in March.
? Business & Employment News
- The Fair Work Commission announced updates to some terms and conditions of several awards, relating to changing the spread of hours in some award, part time hours in the Retail Award and coverage of the Health Services Award. For all the details, see our Facebook post or the Fair Work website: https://www.facebook.com/PinnaclePeopleSolutionsAustralia/posts/6248957608455356
- The switch to more flexible work and increased use of digital technologies during the pandemic has boosted the number of women workers in Australia, with women having a greater share of caring and family responsibilities outside of work. How has your business utilised this new expectation of flexibility to support your employees and increase your talent pool?
- Victoria has introduced anti wage theft penalties, including severe fines and up to 10 years in prison, for businesses and individuals who deliberately underpay staff or dishonestly withhold wages. Have you checked recently whether you are paying your workers correctly, even inadvertently?
