The holiday season brings increased demand, particularly in the hair and beauty sector. Many businesses rely on short-term casual employees – ‘Christmas casuals’ – to meet customer needs during this busy period. Following are some key considerations when hiring Christmas casuals. What makes an employee casual? The Fair Work Act 2009 (FW Act) defines a casual employee as an employee who: has no guarantee of continuing and indefinite work, and receives a casual loading (usual

The Easter holiday period continues to be one of the busiest times for employee leave requests. Many workers seek to take advantage of the cluster of public holidays, and with international travel now fully back to pre-pandemic levels, employers may find themselves juggling increased requests for time off with the need to maintain adequate staffing levels. It’s essential for salon owners and managers to plan ahead and understand the public holiday entitlements to ensure compl

The cost of operating a hair or beauty business continues to rise annually. From overhead expenses and wages to training and the general cost of living, salon owners inevitably face the need to adjust their pricing structures. While the prospect of raising prices can be daunting, especially when balancing the need to cover additional expenses against client retention, implementing thoughtful strategies can facilitate a smooth transition. Choose Your Timing Selecting an approp

What is flexible unpaid parental leave? Flexible unpaid parental leave (UPL) allows employees to take some of their UPL in separate blocks of at least one day, instead of one continuous period. The amount of UPL that an employee can take as flexible UPL depends on the date of birth or adoption: Date of birth or adoption Amount of flexible UPL* Before 1 July 2024 100 days 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025 110 days 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026 120 days From 1 July 2026 130 days *The n