Single-site employment
ANMF members who work at more than one residential private aged care site are now advised the Commonwealth Government has declared the following areas: Greater Melbourne, Moorabool Shire, City of Geelong, Borough of Queenscliff and Surf Coast Shire a COVID-19 hotspot. Please see full local government area list, including suburbs.
This declaration enables private aged care providers in these LGAs to access the Support for Aged Care Workers in Covid-19 (SACWIC) funding to implement single-site employment (SSE).
Many members may have been in the process of transitioning back to more than one residential private aged care site. However, due to the recent increase number of COVID-19 cases in Melbourne, these single-site funding arrangements are returning for these hotspot areas.
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.
When will this commence?
Residential aged care employers are expected to commence single site employment from today 16 July 2021 and implementation of the changes will take place as soon as practicable.
The funding to support these arrangements in Victoria will be for a two-week fixed term period until 30 July 2021.
Members will be advised if these arrangements are extended longer than the two-week period.
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.
Can ANMF assist me?
ANMF members will be provided representation to ensure this process works as intended.
Please ensure your membership details are up to date, particularly the number of hours you work per week, by going to the ANMF member portal.
To be entitled to representation you must be paying the correct category of membership, which is at two levels depending on the number of hours you work per week.
ANMF will work closely with the Federal Government-funded employer ‘Support Hubs’ to work through any implementation issues.
Do you believe you are being disadvantaged and require assistance?
If you require individual assistance because you believe you are being disadvantaged, please contact ANMF via this form.
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.
Got a colleague not receiving ANMF emails?
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 via this form.
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 via anmfvic.asn.au/join
