Pay during quarantine and self-isolation – what salon owners need to know.

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Posted February 16, 2021

As the coronavirus continues to disrupt business operations across the country, salon owners need to stay on top of their obligations to staff throughout this challenging period. As we have seen breakout cases occur across several states in the past few weeks, we have heard from our members that they are unclear about what their obligations are for paying their staff.

Here is everything you need to know about pay for your staff during quarantine and self-isolation caused by the coronavirus.

 

Full-time and part-time salon employees should be paid as normal if:

• they aren’t sick with coronavirus and
• they are ready, willing and able to work

Employers may be able to stand their employees down without pay when the business has closed because of an enforceable government direction (which means the employee can’t be usefully employed from their usual location or another location). This is the case in Victoria during the current 5 day circuit breaker lockdown.

 

Employees aren’t entitled to be paid if they can’t work because:

• an enforceable government direction requires them to self-isolate (except where the employee has coronavirus and is entitled to paid personal leave), or
• government-imposed travel restrictions are in place (for example, they’re stuck overseas or interstate)

 

Employers should consider every award, agreement, employment contract or workplace policy that apply, because these documents may provide an entitlement to payment.

Some state governments are also providing payments to employees who don’t have access to paid sick leave and can’t work for reasons relating to coronavirus.

Employees have a number of leave options throughout isolation or quarantine – read our blog post from last week here.

Federal and state coronavirus payments

The Australian Government has brought in a Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment for some workers during coronavirus. It is available to eligible workers in all six Australian states. The payment is available to workers who:

• don’t have paid sick leave and can’t earn an income because they have to self-isolate or quarantine due to a positive coronavirus case; or
• are caring for someone with coronavirus

For more information about the payment, eligibility requirements and how to claim it, visit Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment  on the Services Australia website.

To check eligibility and for information on additional state government payments go to:

• SA COVID-19 Cluster Isolation Payment
• Victoria – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Test Isolation Payment

 

Eligibility criteria do apply to these government payments, so it’s important you and your staff check these before making any claims.

While we understand how hard these times are for members, and how difficult the past 12 months have been for salons, we encourage our members to be empathetic during these times.

If you’ve got any questions at all, remember you can always #askhaba

Just phone us on (02) 9221 9911 or email info@askhaba.com.au and one of our team of advisers will be in touch as soon as we can. And, if you find yourselves in a dire business situation during these trying times, please do not hesitate to contact HABA. We are the Association that is here for you.