Hair & Beauty Australia, a not-for-profit industry association, highlight some of the recent changes affecting the beauty industry and your business.
1) The Fair Work Act is currently under review and an amended act is coming into effect this year. One of the current changes is that Fair Work Australia has recently changed their name to the Fair Work Commission. All official documents will now feature the Fair Work Commission name, not Fair Work Australia as of 1 January 2013.
2) The time frame to lodge an unfair dismissal claim has changed for employees. Employees and employers need to be aware that it is no longer 14 days to lodge an unfair dismissal claim. This has been extended to 21 days however this should not affect the process for termination.
3) General protections are another form of a workplace complaint that employees can make against their employers. General protections relate specifically to breaches in workplace rights such as not allowing entitlements under the award or discrimination. The time frame to lodge a claim has now been reduced from 60 days to 21 days for a claim.
4) Employees on parental leave can now access 10 “keeping in touch days” in which they can return to work, by agreement with employer. These 10 days are paid for at your normal rate and is taken during periods of unpaid leave. This means employees can keep in contact with clients, your business and keep up-to-date with any change processes which may occur during leave. This will not affect their parental leave entitlements.
5) If an employee does not usually work on a day that is declared a public holiday, then the employee does not receive payment for the day and does not receive a day in lieu. This is because the employees do not have any ordinary hours of work for this day and therefore it does not make up their ordinary hours per week.
6) Part-time employees are required under the Hair and Beauty Award to have a set number of hours and reasonably predictable rosters week to week. The agreed number should be stated in a contract and a part-time employee cannot work less than those hours. Any hours worked over the stated amount is considered to be over-time.
For advice or further information call HABA on 1800 997 795 or visit www.hairandbeautyaustralia.com.au.
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