The JobMaker Hiring Credit scheme is an incentive for businesses to employ job seekers between the ages of 16 and 35 years. It enables eligible employers to receive payments for each eligible employee they hire between 7 October 2020 and 6 October 2021. The JobMaker Hiring Credit Scheme ends on 6 October 2022.

The JobMaker Hiring Credit scheme is administered by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). Employers can register for the scheme from 6 December 2020 on the ATO’s website at Register for JobMaker Hiring Credit  .

Eligibility for the JobMaker Hiring Credit scheme

Employers, and their eligible employees, need to satisfy a range of criteria to be eligible for the JobMaker Hiring Credit. Visit the ATO website for information about:

• Eligible employers 
• Your eligible employees 

Claiming the JobMaker Hiring Credit

Eligible employers can claim payments for eligible new employees for up to 12 months from the employee’s employment start date.  The JobMaker scheme ends on 6 October 2022.

Employees can be employed on a full-time, part-time or casual basis so long as they have worked or been paid for an average of at least 20 hours per week they were employed during the JobMaker period.

Employers can’t participate in both the JobKeeper scheme and JobMaker scheme during a JobMaker period.

Employers can claim JobMaker payments from the ATO in arrears from 1 February 2021. Visit JobMaker Hiring Credit key dates for more information.

An employer can claim:

• $200 per week for each eligible employee aged 16 to 29
• $100 per week for each eligible employee aged 30 to 35.

For more information about claiming the JobMaker Hiring Credit, visit JobMaker Hiring Credit scheme

How the JobMaker Hiring Credit affects minimum entitlements and other conditions

While an employer receives the JobMaker Hiring Credit payment, an eligible employee’s usual terms and conditions of employment, including under the Fair Work Act, continue applying. This includes entitlements from the National Employment Standards (NES), an applicable award or enterprise agreement, and protections from discrimination and other general protections.

The Fair Work Act has rules that prevent an employer taking adverse action against an employee because of the employee’s age. Learn more about unlawful discrimination and adverse action at work at Protection from discrimination at work. Employers should also consider their obligations under anti-discrimination legislation.

An employer can’t terminate an existing employee’s employment, or reduce their hours, in order to access or increase payments under the JobMaker Hiring Credit scheme.

Learn more about eligibility and how to enrol for the JobMaker Hiring Credit scheme on the ATO website at JobMaker Hiring Credit scheme 

As part of the Australian Government’s plan to assist Australia’s economic recovery, the Commonwealth and State and Territory governments agreed in August 2020 to amend the Mutual Recognition Act 1992 to enable the introduction of automatic mutual recognition of occupational licences (AMR), subject to approval by respective parliaments.

Put simply, AMR will permit a person who is licensed in one jurisdiction to trade in the same manner in another jurisdiction, without any additional application, fee or other administrative process, apart from possibly notifying the second jurisdiction of their intention to operate in that second jurisdiction. The intention of AMR is to make working interstate much easier and less expensive and promote the mobility of licensees between jurisdictions.

On 17 December 2020, the Australian Government opened consultation on the AMR proposal, with the release of exposure draft legislation and consultation paper. The Commonwealth’s information may be accessed via the following link:

https://www.pmc.gov.au/domestic-policy/deregulation-taskforce/occupational-mobility

Submissions are due by 12 February 2021. Information on how to make a submission is in the consulation paper.

The SPAAL will be making a submission, members can email comments for inclusion in the SPAAL submission.

Please email your comments to mark@spaal.com.au by 22 January 2021.

The overtime entitlements for casual employees have been varied for the following security industry awards commencing from 20 November 2020.

Security Services-Industry Award 2020 - Overtime for Casuals

Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award 2020 - Overtime for Casuals

TRANSPORT (CASH IN TRANSIT) AWARD 2020 - Overtime for casuals

The Fair Work Ombudsman has commenced legal action in the Federal Circuit Court against the operators of a Victorian security firm.

Click here for the full story

Members make sure that you’re paying your employees according to the right tier so you’re reimbursed correctly.

Don’t forget, you have until 31 October 2020 to pay your employees for the JobKeeper fortnights starting 28 September.

For JobKeeper fortnights from 28 September 2020, there are two payment rates – a tier 1 (higher) rate and a tier 2 (lower) rate.

The rate will be stepped down in two stages.

• The first payment rate decrease starts from JobKeeper fortnight 14 (28 September 2020).
• A further payment rate decrease starts from JobKeeper fortnight  21 (4 January 2021).

Entitlement to the tier 1 or tier 2 rate is based on whether an individual meets the 80-hour threshold.

Read More

On Monday, 21 September, SPAAL addressed the Parliamentary Joint Committee on development of an Australian Standard for the training and use of private contracted security and detection dogs.

SPAAL is a member of the Standards Australia committee developing the standard for Private Sector Patrol and Detection Dogs. Read More

On 6 August 2020, the Australian Government released Australia’s Cyber Security Strategy 2020 (3MB PDF).

The Australian Cyber Security Strategy 2020 will invest $1.67 billion over 10 years to achieve our vision of creating a more secure online world for Australians, their businesses and the essential services upon which we all depend. It will be delivered through:

• Action by governments to strengthen the protection of Australians, businesses and critical infrastructure from the most sophisticated threats.
• Action by businesses to secure their products and services and protect their customers from known cyber vulnerabilities.
• Action by the community to practice secure online behaviours and make informed purchasing decisions.

While this Strategy is an Australian Government initiative, we recognise the essential role of state, territory, local governments, businesses, academia, international partners and the broader community in strengthening Australia’s cyber security. Every part of government, business and the community has a role to play in implementing the Cyber Security Strategy 2020.

The Australian Cyber Security Strategy 2020 replaces Australia’s 2016 Cyber Security Strategy (2MB PDF).​

For cyber security assistance and further information on how to protect yourself online, see cyber.gov.au.

On 21 July 2020, the Government announced it is extending the JobKeeper Payment until 28 March 2021 and is targeting support to those businesses who continue to be significantly impacted by the Coronavirus.

• The existing JobKeeper Payment will remain in place until 27 September 2020. Information about the operation of the JobKeeper Payment until 27 September 2020 is available on the ATO website.
• From 28 September 2020, the JobKeeper Payment will be targeted to businesses that have been most significantly impacted, the payment rates will be stepped-down and two tiers of payment will be introduced.

If you currently receive JobKeeper Payment it remains unchanged and available until 27 September 2020. From 28 September 2020, businesses seeking to claim JobKeeper Payments will be required to reassess their eligibility for the JobKeeper extension with reference to their actual turnover. The JobKeeper extension will be available to qualifying businesses from 28 September 2020 until 28 March 2021.

The ATO is administering the JobKeeper Payment and detailed information and guidance on JobKeeper is available on the ATO website.

Fact Sheets

• Extension of the JobKeeper Payment
• JobKeeper Payment
• JobKeeper Payment: Changes to the Fair Work Act
• Protecting integrity

The modern award minimum wages in the awards listed below will be increased by 1.75% from the start of the first full pay period on or after 1 November 2020.

• Security Services Industry Award 2020 [MA000016]
• Transport (Cash in Transit) Award 2020 [MA000042]
• Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award 2010 [MA000025]

SPAAL will provide members with the new Award Pay Guides once released by the Fair Work Ombudsman..