Kim Milnes

About Kim Milnes

Posts by Kim Milnes:

October 13, 2020

ALERT!
Queensland’s Health Heroes to Receive Additional Two Days Leave

The Queensland Government has announced frontline and support health care staff will be able to access up to an additional two days leave in acknowledgment of their hard work during COVID-19. The additional leave will apply to Queensland Health permanent and temporary full-time health care staff (non-executive) for the Department of Health, Hospital and Health […]

October 9, 2020

ALERT!
Major Budget Announcement – Incentive for Employment of 16 to 35 Year Olds

Awards and Employee Entitlements

JobMaker Hiring Credit As part of the Federal Government’s $74 billion JobMaker Plan announced in the 2020-21 Federal Budget, $4 billion has been allocated to what is called ‘JobMaker Hiring Credit’. This is aimed at providing businesses with an incentive to take on employees aged between 16 and 35 years old. The JobMaker Hiring Credit […]

October 9, 2020

ALERT!
Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements

Employment Contracts

As part of the Federal Government’s $74 billion JobMaker Plan announced in the 2020-21 Federal Budget, the government is investing an additional $1.2 billion through the Boosting Apprenticeships Wage Subsidy to encourage the employment of new apprentices and trainees. Employers (including Group Training Organisations) engaging an Australian Apprentice on or after 5 October 2020 may […]

• Covid-19 Award Flexibilities extended in 74 Modern Awards (2)

September 30, 2020

EMPLOYMENT UPDATE
Covid-19 Award Flexibilities extended in 74 Modern Awards

Awards and Employee Entitlements

In April 2020 the Commission of its own initiative varied 99 awards to insert a new Schedule X to provide unpaid pandemic leave and the option to take twice as much annual leave at half pay. Schedule X was to operate until 30 June 2020 (see previous alert). Since April, Schedule X has been extended […]

September 30, 2020

EMPLOYMENT UPDATE
Wage Theft is now a criminal offence in Queensland

Awards and Employee Entitlements, Underpayment Claims

The Criminal Code and Other Legislation (Wage Theft Amendment Act 2020 (Qld) commenced on 14 September 2020. The new legislation allows for the prosecution of wage theft as an offence of ‘stealing’ by amending the definition of stealing and introducing a higher maximum penalty where there is ‘stealing’ or ‘fraud’ by an employer with respect […]

September 30, 2020

EMPLOYMENT UPDATE
Jobkeeper 2.0 kicks off with new Legacy Employer Provisions

Awards and Employee Entitlements, COVID-19

JobKeeper 2.0 takes effect from 28 September 2020 The Australian Government announced the introduction of the JobKeeper scheme in March 2020 to assist employers and employees significantly affected by the economic impacts of COVID-19 (JobKeeper 1.0). Due to renewed concern regarding the economic impacts and the spread of the Coronavirus, the Government announced in July […]

September 18, 2020

ALERT!
One more week until JobKeeper 2.0 takes effect – are you ready?

COVID-19

The current JobKeeper Payment of $1,500 per fortnight will cease on 27 September 2020 and from 28 September 2020, for those eligible employees and employers, the JobKeeper Payment will be reduced in two stages, and will move to a ‘two-tiered system’. The first reduction will take effect from 28 September 2020, and the second reduction […]

August 28, 2020

EMPLOYMENT UPDATE
Failed consultation renders redundancy termination unfair; Loss of Jobkeeper factored into compensation

COVID-19, Redundancies, Restructuring, Unfair Dismissal

This month we look at a very topical case involving an employer who terminated an employee for redundancy reasons as a result of COVID-19 impacts to the business, and failed in its defence of the subsequent unfair dismissal claim. On 18 March 2020, the employer, a business advisory and accounting business, met with its employees […]

August 19, 2020

ALERT!
High Court – Mondelez decision clarifies the construction of personal carer’s leave for employers

Awards and Employee Entitlements

On 13 August 2020, a High Court majority overturned the Full Federal Court’s judgment in the well-publicised decision of Mondelez v AMWU. Last year’s judgement of the majority of the Full Federal Court confirmed that personal/carer’s leave was to be accrued and taken by reference to “days”. The result of this decision was that two […]

Changes to JobKeeper Payment & Coronavirus supplement for JobSeeker (1)

August 10, 2020

ALERT!
Easing of JobKeeper Wage Subsidy Program

Awards and Employee Entitlements, COVID-19

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg announced on Friday 7 August 2020 that the easing of what had been advised, changed eligibility thresholds for businesses and employees to qualify for the JobKeeper wage subsidy program. The Treasurer’s announcement comes as the significant second wave of COVID-19 in Victoria shuts down major parts of Victoria’s economy. The Government has […]

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