WHAT ENTITLEMENTS DO APPRENTICES HAVE IN THE HAIR & BEAUTY INDUSTRY?

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Posted December 26, 2016

Bringing a new apprentice into your team is difficult for every salon owner, no matter whether you work in hair, beauty or any other industry. Over the past few weeks we have been helping to make the process easier for you, and today we are bringing you part 3 of the series  – What are your apprentices entitlements? How do you care for them best as their first employer?

All apprentices, regardless of whether they are full-time, part-time or school-based are entitled to specific conditions and leave entitlements, the same as any employee you might hold.

 

• For full-time apprentices, this includes 4 weeks of annual leave and leave loading, 10 days of personal/carer’s leave, compassionate leave, paid public holidays and all other provisions under the National Employment Standards (NES). They are required to work 38 hours a week and any amount over this is considered overtime and must be compensated for.

 

• Part-time apprentices will receive pro-rata entitlements for paid annual leave and personal /carer’s leave which is dependent upon the hours worked each week but will be able to access all other provisions under the NES. Part time apprentices will need to work the set hours in line with the laws in your state, and these hours should be relatively predictable.

 

• School-based apprentices are not entitled to payment for time spent training as the training is school directed. In place of payment, the Hair and Beauty Award provides a provision for 25% of the actual hours worked to be paid as “off-the-job” training. This payment can be split out over the semester or year and should be provided as a separate line on the payslip to avoid any confusion.

 

Call HABA on (02) 9221 9911 for clarity and advice (to financial members only) on how to best care for your apprentices.

 

All apprentices (excluding school-based apprentices) are entitled to payment for the time spent at training including their time spent at their RTO. Once an apprentice is signed up to a training contract, they are automatically given a probation period of 3 months, and either the employer or the apprentice can terminate this agreement with only 1-weeks notice during this period. This allows all parties to determine whether the apprentice, employer or salon are right for their needs.

 

It is important to note that the probation period is included as part of the apprenticeship agreement and allows the apprentice to have things like paid annual leave or personal/carers leave. Probation can be extended to 6 months if required, but if this becomes the case it is best to speak to your apprentice about their performance before the end of the initial 3 months. Should the relationship between the apprentice and the employer be terminated, the time spent in the salon by the apprentice does still count towards their progression with an apprenticeship.

 

Entitlements of any kind are created to protect both employers and employees from being unfairly taken advantage of. As such it is the obligation of the salon owner to ensure that these entitlements are clearly explained to any new staff, especially new apprentices so that there is no confusion about the expectations being placed on any party. Clear communication ensures that these conversations aren’t a sticking point or point of contention and everyone can simply get on with the job of being in the Hair and Beauty Industry.

 

Stay tuned for next week’s post – how to develop a training program for your new apprentice!