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JobKeeper Payment to be extended until 28 March 2020 – Are you eligible?

On 21 July 2020, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that his government will continue to support households and businesses during the CVOID-19 pandemic. The Prime Minister confirmed that the JobKeeper subsidy will be extended until 28 March 2021 and the Coronavirus Supplement for those on JobSeeker will be extended until 31 December 2020.

When the JobKeeper payment was revealed in March 2020, it was due to end on 27 September 2020. However, the Prime Minister stated that the extension of the JobKeeper Payment is intended to provide further support to businesses and bolster the economy.

Is the JobKeeper payment the same from 28 September 2020?

No. From 28 September 2020 until 28 March 2021, the JobKeeper payment will be reduced incrementally from the current $1500 per fortnight to $1000 per fortnight. Further, for employees who work less than 20 hours per fortnight, their employer will receive a reduced payment. Employers will need to nominate which payment rate they are claiming for each eligible employee.

JobKeeper Payment rates from 28 September 2020 to 28 March 2021:

Date Full rate per fortnight Reduced rate – when less than 20 hours worked per fortnight
28 September 2020 to

3 January 2021

$1,200 $750
4 January 2021 to

28 March 2021

$1,000 $650

If my business is currently receiving the JobKeeper payment, will I continue to do so after 28 September 2020?

Yes, but only if you can demonstrate that you have suffered a reduction in the June quarter (April, May, June) and September quarter (July, August, September) turnovers. You will need to demonstrate that your business has experienced a decline during both of those quarters to be eligible for payment in the December quarter.

To receive payment for the period of 4 January 2021 to 28 March 2021, you will need to again demonstrate that the turnover has fallen in each of the June, September, and December quarters (October, November, December) of 2020 in comparison to the same quarters in 2019.

If my business was not eligible for JobKeeper previously, but it is now, can I still apply?

Yes, the JobKeeper payment is still available for new participants who meet the eligibility requirements during any of those periods mentioned above.

What are the eligibility requirements for businesses and not-for-profits?

You will need to demonstrate that you have experienced a decline in turnover of:

  • 50 per cent for those with an aggregated turnover of more than $1 billion;
  • 30 per cent for those with an aggregated turnover of $1 billion or less; or
  • 15 per cent for Australian Charities and Not-for-profit Commission-registered charities (excluding schools and universities).

I received a rent reduction because I was eligible for JobKeeper. How will the extension of the JobKeeper payment impact on my lease?

The announcement of the JobKeeper extension does not directly impact the state-based Commercial Tenancies (COVID-19 Response) Act 2020 or the associated WA code of conduct. It is likely that the WA Government will consider this issue in the near future. We will keep you updated when further information is available.

For more information on the eligibility requirements, please visit:
https://www.ato.gov.au/general/JobKeeper-Payment/

If you require specific advice concerning the interaction between the Fair Work Act 2009 and the JobKeeper Payment program, please contact us at [email protected]

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Promotion and Change of Rate of Mr Adam Ward

We are pleased to announce the promotion of our Associate, Mr Adam Ward, to Senior Lawyer with effective on 3 July 2020.

AW-EDM

Adam’s new hourly rate will be $400 (exclusive of GST), this will apply to clients who retain the legal services of Tang Law after 3 July 2020.

We are truly honoured to have Adam in our team and we look forward to his leadership in strengthening and growing the Firm.

Should you have any queries in regards to the content above, please do not hesitate to contact us on 08 9328 7525.

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New Ruling : Casual Staff and Annual Leave Entitlements

An important recent decision by the Full Court of the Federal Court in WorkPac Pty Ltd v Rossato [2020] FCAFC 84 has confirmed that a casual employee can be deemed to be a permanent employee, despite the wording of the employment contract and the payment of a casual loading. Rossato follows the Full Court’s decision of WorkPac Pty Ltd v Skene [2018] FCAFC 131 which considered a similar issue involving the same employer. Interestingly enough it was WorkPac which commenced proceedings in Court following the Skene decision finding that an employee was deemed to be a permanent employee despite wording of the written contract.

Background

Mr Rossato was an employee of WorkPac from 28 July 2014 to 9 April 2018 under six consecutive contracts of employment. WorkPac treated each employment period as causal employment and deemed Mr Rossato as a casual employee. Following the Skene decision, Mr Rossato claimed that he should be considered as a permanent employee and sought outstanding entitlements to paid annual leave, paid personal/carer’s leave, paid compassionate leave and public holiday pay in accordance with the Fair Work Act 2009 (Act) and the relevant enterprise agreement, commensurate with that status.

WorkPac commenced proceedings and sought declarations that Mr Rossato was a casual employee. WorkPac argued that:

  • pursuant to Mr Rossato’s six contracts of employment, at common law and for the purposes of the Act and the enterprise agreement, Mr Rossato was a casual employee;
  • Mr Rossato’s pay incorporated a 25% casual loading and WorkPac was entitled to set off the entitlements owing to Mr Rossato;
  • due to total failure of consideration or by mistake, Workpac was entitled to recover part of the remuneration paid to Mr Rossato in accordance with the enterprise agreement.

Full Court decision

The Full Court confirmed that a defining attribute of a casual employee is that they do not have firm advance commitment from the employer. On the other hand, Mr Rossato’s employment contracts demonstrated firm advance commitment for the following reasons:

  • Mr Rossato worked regular and predictable hours;
  • Mr Rossato was offered free on-site accommodation during his shifts;
  • Mr Rossato could accept and reject the shifts offered to him;
  • Mr Rossato’s shifts were pre-programmed long in advance;
  • WorkPac could stand down Mr Rossato in circumstances of a strike, breakdown of machinery, or any stoppage of work for any cause for which WorkPac could not be held reasonably responsible;
  • the extended nature of the contracts which stated that the length of an assignment is a guide only and may vary; and
  • the language of the contract, which stated that the standard ordinary hours were 35 to 38 hours per week, which are the same as the ordinary hours of full-time employees under the enterprise agreement.

Further, the Full Court held that due to the wording of the contracts, the entitlement to leave could not be satisfied by set-off payment instead of taking leave.

Recommendations for employers

  • Review your current casual contracts to ensure the set off provisions are clearly drafted and that the casual loading is a separate identifiable amount – statements of ‘in lieu of those benefits’ may not hold when tested
  • Review your casual-to-permanent arrangements and ensure that there is documentation stating that an employee consents to remaining casual
  • Review the Modern Award that applies to your employees and check when the business has to offer permanency to casual employees and ensure that you are meeting the requirements of the Modern Award
  • Ensure that you do not roster your employees’ shifts too far in advance as this may indicate firm advance commitment associated with permanent status

To obtain further employment information or to have your current arrangements reviewed please contact the team at Tang Law on +61 8 9328 7525 (Perth) +61 3 9013 7313 (Melbourne) or at [email protected]

#Casual Staff Entitlement #Casual Staff Contract Review


About Writer

Martin Koshy is the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Partner at Tang Law.  Martin practices in the areas of Employment Law, Commercial Litigation and Personal Injury and Compensation Law.

Tang Law represents both employers and employees in a wide range of employment law matters, including drafting and review of employment and other workplace contracts and representation in unfair dismissal claims.

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Reckless and Dangerous Driving | Penalties and Legal Action

If you are caught driving a motor vehicle on any length of road in Western Australia above the speed limit designated for that section of road, then you will receive a penalty. The penalty changes and gets higher (usually in terms of a fine and/or license disqualification received) depending on how far over the speed limit you are travelling at the time.

If the police consider your driving to be inherently dangerous, or in the circumstances a danger to the public or any person, then you can be charged with Driving in a Reckless Manner. One of the factors that automatically makes a person’s manner of driving Reckless is if they are travelling over 155km/h or 45km/h over the speed limit on any stretch road.

Penalties for Driving at Reckless Speed

The penalties for driving in a Reckless Manner or at Reckless Speed are contained in the Road Traffic Act 1974 (WA) and vary depending on the situation. In all circumstances however, an offender charged under these sections of the Road Traffic Act is liable to serve a potential term of imprisonment and will lose their license for at least 6 months.

If prison is avoided (which it can be in most situations) then offenders still face some pretty big fines, to go along with the loss of license. These include:

  • A fine of up to $6,000 for a first offence
  • A fine of up to $9,000 for a second offence
  • A fine of up to $12,000 for any subsequent offence

The penalties involved in any particular case vary and take into account many different factors, however, in most cases they are not fixed and can be kept to a minimum with good legal representation.

What to do if you are charged with Driving at Reckless Speed

If you are caught driving at a speed that is considered reckless according to either of the 2 above criteria from the Road Traffic Act, then you will be given a summons to appear at court and should seek legal representation as soon as possible.

Tang Law’s team of lawyers can help to minimize the effect of the charge and get you the lowest penalty possible; keeping the license disqualification period to a minimum, making sure the fine is well below the maximum and keeping you out of jail!

What can you expect from an experienced traffic lawyer?

An effective and experience traffic lawyer will:

  1. Always, fully examine your situation (including all material facts giving rise to and circumstances surrounding the charge;
  2. Determine the likely and realistic consequences the charge will have on you;
  3. Understand your personal circumstance and provide you with effective options on defending you or mitigating your situation;
  4. Undertake effective communication and negotiation with Police Prosecution;
  5. Obtain useful character references; and
  6. All importantly, professional and effective representation in court to defend you and present your best possible case

For more information, please contact the writer, Mr Adam Ward, Associate Lawyer, at TANG LAW at 9328 7525 or [email protected].

#Traffic Offences for Driving Without a License #Criminal Law


About Writer

Adam Ward was admitted into the legal profession in the Supreme Court of Western Australia in 2015 and joined Tang Law in May 2019. Mr Ward is an experience Criminal and Traffic Lawyer with extensive experience in representing clients in Courts on all issues relating to Traffic Law, Criminal Law, and Criminal Injury Compensation.

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Subsequent Offences for Driving Without a License

There are serious consequences for driving without a license in Western Australia as it is an offence under the Road Traffic Act 1974 (WA). Section 49 of this Act, “No Authority to Drive”, outlines the provisions of the many forms that this offence can occur.

What constitutes a No Authority to Drive charge?

An unlicensed driver can be charged with No Authority to Drive whether you have never had a license, are currently disqualified from driving for any reason for a period of time or have been banned from driving and had your licensed cancelled.

Section 49 of the Road Traffic Act is more complicated than it may seem at first glance. It outlines the many ways in which an unlicensed driver can be charged with the offence for driving without a license, and sets out the mandatory penalty ranges that apply in each case, but also takes into account differing penalties (including possible prison sentences) for repeat offenders. There are even mandatory sentencing provisions that require that an offender serve an immediate prison sentence if they get caught driving when they should not be in certain contexts, so proper knowledge of the Act and the penalties that apply is very important.

One important distinction that is made in the penalty provisions of the Road Traffic Act is the difference between a first-time offender, a repeat offender and a subsequent offence. Whilst it may seem obvious what the first 2 are, it is really when someone commits a subsequent offence (a third offence or more) under this section that the penalties considered by the court are likely to include a term of imprisonment.

You can also have your car impounded for no license.

An experienced traffic lawyer can provide you with effective advice on how to deal with this sort of situation.

What are the possible consequences of a subsequent offence?

Depending on the circumstance in which an unlicensed driver is caught, the penalties vary, however, for subsequent offences the penalties of section 49 of the Road Traffic Act can often include up to a 3 year ban from driving, a fine of $4,000 or 18 months imprisonment.

There is a real risk of imprisonment term for driving without license.

What can you do if you are charged with No Authority to Drive?

If caught as an unlicensed driver, you must understand that this charge is very serious and the courts know this. It is vitally important to get professional legal advice and representation from experienced traffic lawyers before you appear in court, especially if this is not the first time you have been charged for driving without license.

What can you expect from an experienced traffic lawyer?

An effective and experience traffic lawyer will:

  1. Always, first fully examine of your situation (including all material facts giving rise to and circumstances surrounding the charge;
  2. Determine the likely and realistic consequences the charge will have on you;
  3. Understand your personal circumstance and provide you with effective options on defending you or mitigating your situation;
  4. Undertak effective communication and negotiation with Police Prosecution;
  5. Obtain useful character references; and
  6. All importantly, professional and effective representation in court to defend you and present your best possible case

For more information, please contact the writer, Mr Adam Ward, Associate Lawyer, at TANG LAW at 9328 7525 or [email protected].

#Traffic Offences for Driving Without a License #Criminal Law


About Writer

Adam Ward was admitted into the legal profession in the Supreme Court of Western Australia in 2015 and joined Tang Law in May 2019. Mr Ward is an experience Criminal and Traffic Lawyer with extensive experience in representing clients in Courts on all issues relating to Traffic Law, Criminal Law, and Criminal Injury Compensation.

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