Concerns raised about new minimum hours
Age care providers will have to roster or pay home support workers for a minimum of two hours from July.
Aged and disability care providers will have to roster or pay home support workers for a minimum of two hours from July under changes to their award.
It follows a review of the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award by the Fair Work Commission which sets a new minimum shift time for part-time and casual workers.
The updated award also includes loadings for remote work, broken shift allowances and compensation for cancelled shifts.
While some industry insiders have expressed hope that the changes will be an improvement on what’s viewed as a confusing and inflexible award, others are concerned about the implications for providers.
Major cost increases feared
Kerrie Langford, head of employment and ACT manager at National Disability Services, says while the modelling is yet to be done, the change in minimum hours could have a significant cost implication for providers.
“There will be potentially a 100 to 200 per cent cost increase,” she said. “We’re unsure of what the potential impact, financially, will be on the sector.”
Ms Langford said NDS strongly encouraged providers to seek their own industrial advice in relation to the new award, as much of it was unclear, untested and open to interpretation.
Another layer of complexity
Aged & Community Services Australia CEO Paul Sadler said the change to minimum engagement times would create another level of complexity for operators and could compromise client care.
“It’s common for older people to receive their personal care via two short visits at the beginning and end of the day, and providers will now have to adjust their arrangements to fit in with the two hour minimum engagement,” said Mr Sadler.
Those most likely to benefit from the change are online platforms, who pay staff as independent contractors, he said.
“The side effect of these sorts of rules is that you’re going to end up with some older people potentially having to change their routines to accommodate the new minimum requirement, or you get providers and older people choosing to go with independent contractor engagement models.”
Mr Sadler said the changes will put more pressure on the sector, especially smaller operators who may not have the appropriate integrated software.
“It’s just another pressure for these small players in terms of how they manage the link between their workers and the clients,” he said.
“We’re not opposed to the minimum level per se and we accept the umpire’s decision. But we need to sit back and ask what does this mean for how we schedule workers, and how the government pays for home care packages, particularly as we move towards a new support at home model.”
Broken shift allowance
Under the changes, there will be a scale of payments for employees performing remote work outside of their rostered hours, and if a client cancels a rostered service, the employer must either find an equivalent shift for the worker or pay them the full rate.
An employee required to work one broken shift will be paid an allowance of 1.7 per cent of the standard rate, while employees who work a broken shift with two unpaid breaks will get 2.25 per cent.
Other changes include the introduction of a 32 cent per shift laundry allowance and an obligation for employers to pay for the repair or replacement of damaged clothes.
The review of the SCHADS Award is part of the Fair Work Commission’s four yearly review of modern awards. The FWC announced its determination earlier this year.
This story originally appeared on Community Care Review
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I agree comments made by Paul Sadler as many older people need two short visits a day to meet their needs. Not one long visit. How does this fit with consumer directed care/person centered care? It raises numerous questions such as will care package funding and hours increase to accomodate this? Not to mention rostering issues for staff and especially the small providers that do not have all the latest intergrated software as mentioned by Mr Sadler. Community care providers needs to refer to all providers large and small providers and accomodate all.
Well about time you looked after the workers happy staff happy clients..clients will not be affected as they have stated clients will not be forced to have xtra hours the onus will be on the company to align upcoming shifts to give the carer a decent day work..and be paid for klms and destruction of there own vehicle. Then people may make a carear of this industry stability and familiarity with clients. As it stands now this industry is only for the wealthy who want to earn a bit if pocket money for themselves to top up there wealthy lifestyle..who wants to drive 60 klms a day every day for nothing who wants 15 minute shifts half hour shifts no body it’s ridiculous and a ripp off the worker suffers endlessly. Now we may see some job security to maintain good staff great stuff fair work great stuff common sense prevails. Don’t believe there false allegations about clients loosing out not true.
Out and about in your own vehicle for 7 hours getting paid for 4 hours no travel time.driving 15 kms for half hour shift 15 klms back. No travel time price of fuel paid out of of worker’s pocket ..some days 1.5 hours 3 half hour shifts drive 40 klms no klms rate what a joke no wonder good people are walking away it’s about keeping it fair for everyone concerned. If companies can keep u down to maximise profit they will they need to be accountable and stop playing on worker’s emotions using clients as a leverage to keep worker’s down low act. Clients will not be affected don’t buy it only the company responable to give there employees a fair go about time.
I hope this a fair platform and will publish all comments not only what suits there agenda.
Great work happy staff happy clients
Ummm no you could not be more wrong. Firstly there are no 15 minute shifts, I’m not sure where you get your information from. Secondly its not happy staff, happy clients, and yes many will miss out because many don’t have the funding for extra shifts. Staff flexibility is compromised, because many shifts will be doubled. Some days could blow out to 10 hours, if the staff accept the doubled shifts. No one wants that. It’s going to be a total disaster. I see why they are doing it, to make wages better for staff, however such drastic changes, need to be considered from every angle. Something they haven’t done. What do they say when a client that has a 1 hour Personal Care service, is told it needs to go to 2 hours for her service, yet her package doesn’t have the funding for the extra hour? How would they respond? They have no idea what it’s like being out in the field. And before you comment yes I do, I am a carer in this industry. No one is happy about these changes, the providers, the staff or the clients.
Are you kidding? I’m lucky if I can spend more that 10 minutes in my residential care agency. In the dementia ward, there is 1 PCA to 12 residents who works 1700-2100. How does that calculate, also include medication dispensary….
I agree with Malcolm this industry is one of a few that allows shifts under 3 hours and I wish they didn’t even do that!! My resume specifies I need 40hours work per week and don’t contact me if only short shifts available yet here I am again promised plenty of work then in reality I m pushing to get 20hrs work in a week cos so many 2hr shifts.
Those who allocate time to our clients need to get some perspective and remember that real people who need money to survive on are being forced into ridiculous split shifts and short shifts and ludicrous amounts of unpaid travel that are NOT Acceptable in most other awards. I’m angry that they didn’t make this award better for the workers and I completely agree companies guilt workers into doing shifts while admin workers get proper long shifts to fill their pay packets.