Welcome to 2021! We hope you had a safe and happy Christmas and New Year.
Pinnacle People Solutions is back in the office today, ready to assist you and your business with your HR and recruitment needs.
? Health News
– The Greater Sydney and Melbourne have suffered COVID outbreaks over the holiday season, with authorities remaining concerned that there are “missing links” in transmission between the various clusters of cases.
– Greater Sydney (including the Wollongong region, Blue Mountains and Central Coast) are under more strict restrictions than the rest of NSW at the moment – see here for more details: https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/what-you-can-and-cant-do-under-rules/greater-sydney If you have been in this area, be vigilant for symptoms, get tested straight away and wear a face mask indoors
– Restrictions have NOT changed for local government areas outside of Greater Sydney as yet, although there have been some case reports and location notifications for regional towns such as Orange.
– Entry into Victoria is severely restricted for anyone who has been anywhere in NSW in the 14 days prior to entry – see here for the details: https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/victorian-border-crossing-permit
– Queensland has also introduced additional restrictions for people coming from NSW since 11 December 2020 – see here for the details: https://www.covid19.qld.gov.au/government-actions/border-closing
ℹ COVID in the Workplace Update
– Electronic recording of patrons is now mandatory for a variety of businesses in NSW to ensure ease of COVID tracing – visit this website for the list: https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/being-covid-safe/check-in
– Make sure your COVID-Safe plan is in place, and you are still adhering to it!
– JobKeeper: From 4 January 2021, employers must pay their eligible employees at least the correct JobKeeper amount of either $1,000 for tier 1 or $650 for tier 2. The new turnover form is now available. For all the details, visit: https://www.ato.gov.au/general/jobkeeper-payment/
– Will you require your employees to have the COVID vaccine once it is rolled out? While the government has said it will not be mandatory at that level, legal experts believe that individual businesses will be able to mandate vaccination for staff. Read more about this story here: https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/bosses-have-the-power-to-force-employees-to-take-the-vaccine-experts-20210101-p56r64.html
? ICYMI (In Case You Missed It)…
– In November 2020, changes were made to the Fair Work Act regarding entitlements to unpaid parental leave in relation to stillbirth, premature birth or the death of a child. See here for the details: https://www.fairwork.gov.au/about-us/news-and-media-releases/website-news/changes-to-unpaid-parental-leave-entitlements
