Single-site employment applies until at least Thursday 2 September
On 21 August, the Commonwealth Department of Health declared all Victorian local government areas are a hotspot for the purposes of government funding to support single-site employment restrictions.
This means all Victorian residential aged care facilities must move to single-site employment.
The restrictions are in place until at least Thursday 2 September 2021.
The new date also applies to the local government areas that were already following single-site restrictions. These LGAs are Greater Melbourne, Moorabool Shire, City of Greater Geelong, Borough of Queenscliff and Surf Coast Shire and Golden Plains Shire.
If you were already taking approved leave from another residential aged care provider to consolidate your hours at one site, then that approved leave will need to be extended until 2 September 2021.
Members should check the details of their approved leave. If it has an end date of 27 August 2021, you are encouraged to notify your employer that, in accordance with the updated and extended Guiding Principles, that leave is required until 2 September 2021. If the leave was for the duration of the operation of the single-site arrangements, then no further action is required.
An employer must grant that leave and hold your position open for you until 2 September 2021 (or later if the Guiding Principles are extended).
Members are also advised that should you decide that you do not intend to return to one or more of your other positions, you must give those employers written “notice” that you will not be returning. The period of notice varies depending on the terms of your enterprise agreement, up to a maximum of four weeks’ notice. If in doubt, contact ANMF Member Assistance.
What has changed?
Aged care providers will only receive additional Commonwealth funding if the employee chooses – as their primary worksite – the site at which they ordinarily work their most hours.
What does this mean for me?
The worksite where you work the most hours will become your primary workplace, rather than you getting to choose which site will become your primary workplace. Your ‘primary workplace’ will be the single site at which you will work all your shifts. That worksite will employ you for at least your total normal hours by providing additional hours equal to or greater than the hours you were working elsewhere.
If the employer does not have sufficient rostered hours to employ you for the additional hours, then they must employ you for supernumerary hours (shifts that are additional to the usual number of staff on a shift) up to the foregone number of hours. The primary employer can then make a declaration to the Commonwealth for reimbursement of the supernumerary paid hours that have been worked.
Who is impacted?
Employees (including casual employees) of residential aged care who work at more than one residential aged care site.
What happens with my other jobs in residential aged care?
Your other employer/s must:
- grant you unpaid single site leave for the duration of the period.
- preserve your accrued annual leave and personal leave
- keep your job open for you to return to at the conclusion of the period
- ensure that the period unpaid single site leave is treated as service for long service leave purposes.
Will I be financially worse off?
An impacted employee will not be worse off financially.
What about public sector aged care?
ANMF notes public sector aged care across Victoria will continue single site employment until 30 September 2021 as previously advised.
What if I need further advice or support from ANMF (Vic Branch)?
In the first instance, contact Member Assistance via our online form.
Do you believe you are being disadvantaged and require assistance?
If you require individual assistance because you believe you are being disadvantaged by the new requirements restricting you to working at a single workplace, please contact ANMF.
ANMF encourages members to raise any concerns they have with management in the first instance as quickly as possible in addition to seeking assistance from ANMF.
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If you have an ANMF colleague who is not receiving these newsflash emails, please pass this on and let them know they can re-subscribe.
Encourage your colleagues to join ANMF
Please invite your aged care nursing and personal care worker colleagues to join their union so they have access to support, advice and information about their employment. Let them know they can join.
