EMPLOYMENT SUBSIDIES – GOVERNMENT POLICY – AUSTRALIA

Door not shut on extending jobless aid: PM

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Original article by Geoff Chambers, Patrick Commins
The Australian – Page: 2 : 12-May-20

JP Morgan expects about one million Australians to have lost their jobs in April, lifting the unemployment rate to 8.5 per cent. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has reiterated that at present the JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme is still slated to be in place for six months. He adds that it could be extended or scaled back, depending on the pace at which the economy and the labour market recover from the pandemic. Official labour market data for April will be released on 14 May.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Budget impact may be lessened by quicker recovery

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 2 : 29-Apr-20

The federal government is hopeful that Australia’s success in containing the coronavirus will result in the JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme costing far less than the $130bn that has been budgeted. The government had expected about six million workers to access the payment; Treasury secretary Steven Kennedy has told a parliamentary inquiry that there have been 540,000 applications from employers to date, covering about 3.3 million workers. The cost of the JobSeeker package for the unemployed may also end up being less than forecast.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

More time to enrol in JobKeeper scheme

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Original article by Maja Garaca Djurdjevic
My Business – Page: Online : 28-Apr-20

More than 400,000 businesses have formally applied for the JobKeeper scheme to date, covering some 2.4 million employees. The Australian Taxation Office has advised that the deadline for applying for the initial phase of the wage subsidy scheme will be extended from 30 April to the end of May. Kate Carnell, the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, has urged small businesses that may be eligible to apply for the scheme as soon as possible.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE

Companies fight for access to JobKeeper wage scheme

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Original article by Michael Bleby
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 32 : 23-Apr-20

Many companies in the property sector meet the turnover reduction thresholds for the JobKeeper scheme, but their corporate restructure means they may be ineligible. Such companies are split into an operating arm that generates income and a services arm that actually employs their staff, but the turnover test will be applied to each entity separately. These structures are widely used by companies such as retail property managers and student accommodation providers. Operators of retirement villages may also be ineligible for the scheme.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, PROPERTY COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, LENDLEASE GROUP – ASX LLC, STOCKLAND – ASX SGP, MERITON APARTMENTS PTY LTD

Coronavirus JobKeeper package passes Parliament after Labor amendments fail

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Original article by Matthew Doran
abc.net.au – Page: Online : 9-Apr-20

More than 730,000 businesses have registered with the Australian Taxation Office to access the federal government’s wage subsidy scheme. A special sitting of parliament has passed the JobKeeper legislation, with eligible businesses to receive $1,500 per fortnight for each worker they continue to employ during the pandemic. Labor backed the legislation despite failing in its push for the scheme to be expanded to include casual workers who have been with their employer for less than a year and temporary visa holders.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

JobKeeper flexibilities give employers power to alter hours, ask staff to take leave

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Original article by Samantha Maiden
The New Daily – Page: Online : 8-Apr-20

Labor will support the federal government’s JobKeeper wage subsidy package when parliament reconvenes for a one-off sitting on 8 April. Attorney-General Christian Porter says the temporary changes to the Fair Work Act will allow employers to reduce an employee’s agreed hours of work for six months due to the pandemic. However, he stresses that any such reduction in agreed hours must be reasonable. The changes will also allow employers to request that staff use some of their annual leave entitlements during the pandemic.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, SKILLS, SMALL AND FAMILY BUSINESS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ACTU

Covid casuals: money for jam

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Original article by Rosie Lewis, Geoff Chambers, Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 7-Apr-20

The federal government has reached a compromise with the ACTU regarding the JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme. Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter negotiated a deal with ACTU ­secretary Sally McManus to address the union movement’s concerns about draft legislation to amend the Fair Work Act. Labor still favours implementing the scheme via the Fair Work Commission, but it intends to vote for the legislation when parliament reconvenes for a one-off sitting on 7 April. Meanwhile, new data suggests that some casual workers may be paid significantly more under the JobKeeper scheme than they earned prior to the pandemic.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, SKILLS, SMALL AND FAMILY BUSINESS, ACTU, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Unions push for reasonable test in JobKeeper compromise deal for casuals

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Original article by Samantha Maiden
The New Daily – Page: Online : 6-Apr-20

Attorney-General Christian Porter has indicated that he is open to a compromise regarding casual workers’ access to the JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme. All eligible employees will be paid $1,500 per fortnight, regardless of their current income; this may include some part-time casuals who earned less than $750 a week prior to the pandemic. ACTU secretary Sally McManus has urged the federal government to introduce a ‘reasonable test’ for casual employees who had expected to work over the next year but had been with their current employer for less than 12 months.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, ACTU

Unions warn huge chunk of casual workforce could miss out on coronavirus wage subsidy

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Original article by Euan Black
The New Daily – Page: Online : 31-Mar-20

Full-time and part-time workers will be eligible for the JobKeeper wage subsidy, as will casual workers who have been with the same employer for at least 12 months. However, ACTU secretary Sally McManus says the wage subsidy should be available to all casual workers, adding that it should be increased to $1,375 per week rather than $1,500 per fortnight. Gerard Dwyer, the national president of the Shop, Distributive & Allied Employees’ Association, also supports extending the payment to all casual workers, as well as visa workers.

CORPORATES
ACTU, SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION

Federal Government offers $130b in coronavirus wage subsidies for businesses to pay workers

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Original article by Brett Worthington
abc.net.au – Page: Online : 31-Mar-20

Prime Minister Scott Morrison expects about six million Australians to access the federal government’s JobKeeper payment. He says there will be a legal obligation on employers to pass the full wage subsidy of up to $1,500 per fortnight on to employees. Morrison adds that unlike the UK wage subsidy, it is aimed at keeping people in jobs rather than targeting workers who have been stood down. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says the subsidy equates to about 70 per cent of the median wage and around 100 per cent of the median wage for sectors that have been impacted the most by the coronavirus pandemic.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY