Staff – Page 2 – Streamline Management

Public Holiday for Australia Day

Public holidays – don’t forget your fairwork obligations!
You need to pay all full time and part time staff for the normal hours they would have worked on Australia Day if you close your workplace.
If you open your workplace, all employees have the right to not work. Employers can request employees to work on a public holiday, but the request has to be reasonable. An employee can refuse a request to work if the employee has reasonable grounds to refuse or the request is unreasonable. Check awards for payrates.

January 25, 2024

Employee super must be paid on time!

Super payment due dates occur quarterly. If you don’t pay an employee’s super guarantee (SG) amount in full, on time and to the right fund, you must pay the super guarantee charge (SGC).
The SGC is more than the super you would have otherwise paid to the employee’s fund and is not tax deductible.
You will need to complete an SGC statement and submit it to the ATO, this is used to calculate fines and penalties (some to compensate staff for lost earnings, some to punish you for naughtiness).
Hopefully this is a mistake you only make once!

January 22, 2024

National Employment Standards Update – Super

Fair Work has updated the National Employment Standards (NES).

FairWork says: From 1 January 2024, the National Employment Standards (NES) includes a right to superannuation contributions. This means that unpaid or underpaid superannuation can be enforced under the Fair Work Act by more employees (as well as by an employee organisation or us).
Make sure you provide new employees with the current version of the National Employment Standards as part of your onboarding process.
Ask us for help if you have no idea about an employee onboarding process – we can help keep you compliant!

January 19, 2024

October to December super – authorise now!

If you haven’t already, now is the time to authorise super payments for you employees (this includes you as a director). Funds must reach the employees account by 28th January and it takes a long longer than it ought to be processed, and there is a public holiday this month.
Penalties are harsh for late payment. So sort out your cashflow and pay now!

January 17, 2024

Fairwork update – deductions

Fair Work has updated the rules about deductions from employee wages.
New rules apply for employee authorised deductions from pay that are either one-off or recurring and for specific amounts or for amounts that change from time to time.
These are called employee authorised deductions and the employee needs to give their permission in writing. Examples of these deductions include payments to a health fund or union fees.
Need help with payroll? Ask us to give you a hand

January 12, 2024

December 2023 quarter super is due soon

October-December super contributions, must be received (by fund) by 28th January.
Severe penalties will apply for late payments.
Payments should be authorised by 19th January as it can take several days to process (Don’t forget the Australia Day public holiday may slow down processing times).

January 10, 2024

Christmas 2023 holidays

Christmas time wages – so easy!
If you are closing your office you need to know about public holidays and how they effect wages for your team. Different states declare different public holidays, part-time staff need to be paid their normal hours, they do not need to make up the time on another day.
If your workplace remains open, you need to know about public holiday payrates/loadings and minimum shift lengths.
Check out all the details here or ask us to help.

December 18, 2023

Fairwork update – fixed term contracts

Fair Work has updated the rules about fixed term contracts
From 6 December 2023, new rules apply when engaging employees on fixed term contracts.
A fixed term contract terminates at the end of a set period (for example, the contract ends on a set date or after a set period of time or a season).
The new rules include a requirement for employers to give any employees they’re engaging on a new fixed term contract a Fixed Term Contract Information Statement (FTCIS).
Need help with payroll? Ask us to give you a hand

December 13, 2023

Staff Christmas Bonus

Thinking about rewarding staff with a bonus?
Don’t forget super is likely to apply and you’ll need to use the schedule 5 tax scale to work out the tax to withhold.
If you don’t process and report the payment properly – you can’t claim a tax deduction.

December 12, 2023

Christmas gifts

Delivering gifts down the chimney this year? Don’t get stuck with extra tax to pay!

Best to refresh your memory on the allowable deductions and FBT rules, before the hitting the shops, so you don’t end up with any surprise tax to pay!

December 5, 2023

Category: Staff