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How To Get Back To Work Safely

Jun 08, 2020

With the Australian economy slowly reopening, many businesses will be welcoming their employees back after several months of shut down. This is a critical juncture where we need to ensure we can operate efficiently to grow our businesses and keep everyone safe.

This return to trading will not be business as usual and extra care and precautions to ensure the safety of staff, clients and service providers is necessary.

We have put together a list of recommendations that will help businesses navigate these complex times. Businesses must stay profitable while managing sick leave, structuring offerings to reduce wastage and keeping their staff safe.

Sick Leave Entitlements 
It is important to understand how to use and apply sick leave during this phase of reopening. We have provided answers for some of the most common questions we receive at 360 Accounting:
  • In addition to 10 days paid sick leave how do I process additional sick leave or unpaid leave for isolation?- If the employee is sick, they can use their sick leave balance
  • If the employee is not sick but needs to self-isolate, they cannot use sick leave, since technically they are not sick, The Fair Work Commission has introduced 2 weeks’ unpaid pandemic leave in 99 awards. An eligible employee taking unpaid pandemic leave must receive at least the amount of the JobKeeper payment from their qualifying employer if they meet the eligibility conditions for the JobKeeper scheme
  • Do you have any recommendations for casual staff who may have been exposed to the virus and can't work? What arrangements can be made for them?
    - Casuals are not entitled to any additional payment of sick leave for any shifts they do not work as they have already been paid an additional loading in lieu of other entitlements including sick leave
Increasing Retail And Hospitality Profit Margins
This is a critical time for retail and hospitality businesses that have been either shut, operating at a break even or a loss for months. During this reopening phase businesses should focus on only the services that produce the highest amount of profit. We have some recommendations for menus and distancing rules to improve profits with a reduced amount of clientele:
  • Keep the menu simple and utilise the same ingredients across multiple dishes, to guarantee a greater profit margin with less food wastage
  • Encourage bookings for two seatings per night, for example 6 and 8 pm
  • Promote online, via an email database, and on social media. There are best practice hashtags and keywords businesses can use to increase their visibility. It is important to reinforce through your messaging your ongoing commitment to reducing contamination via cleaning changes and social distancing protocols within your business.
Safety Checklists For Staff
As employees return to work, it will be important to communicate with them about their health and wellbeing on a regular basis. Being proactive with staff to understand if someone is ill before reporting to work or beginning a shift is a step that could suppress an outbreak at your location. Here are some ways to ensure you and your team members are safe. 
  •  Deputy, an online rostering system, has recently launched Clock In Questions, a pre-shift health check, which will help protect your business and limit the risk of sick employees and staff being exposed to COVID-19 in your workplace. If you are not already using Deputy sign up for a free trial account here. 
  • Prior to each shift you can have your employees record a response to whether they are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, this will protect you from any liability of exposing any of your employees to the virus 
  • Schedule meetings with staff to discuss their concerns and any recommendations they may have to reduce exposure. Your staff may see areas where they can make improvements and feel safer in the process
Questions?
We know that many of you have been feeling overwhelmed with the changes. If you have questions, please get in touch. Many businesses have a current accountant in place, but with the end of the financial year around the bend, it is always a good time to schedule a review of your current systems or providers.

We understand that now is a pivotal moment as we reopen our economy, and profits must be maximised. We are not here to merely reconcile accounts. We are a strategic growth partner for your business.

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