NSW’s Workers’ Compensation Scheme is facing a $4 billion deficit with a proposed 28% increase in premiums needed to bring the Scheme back into balance within five years.

The analysis by the NSW Business Chamber is a conservative estimate based on the impact of a 28% increase on the basic tariff premium applied across the number of employers in the Mid North Coast.

“If premiums are increased by the 28% that the Actuaries assert is needed to get the scheme back to full funding in five years, that will cost Mid North Coast employers over $19.5 million in additional premium fees,” said Kellon Beard, Mid North Coast NSW Business Chamber Regional Manager.

“Hiking premiums by $19.5 million or about $2,176 per Mid North Coast employer is not an incentive to employ people, in fact, it’s an incentive to employers to review their staffing and stop employing.”

Mr Beard said the NSW Business Chamber will be appearing before the Joint Select Committee on the Workers Compensation Scheme in the NSW Parliament today to argue that premium increases are not the answer but that the Scheme needs structural reform to overcome the financial difficulties it was challenged with.

“This is not easy reform, but it is necessary reform if we are to have a Compensation Scheme that gets the balance right between supporting injured workers and helping employers to create jobs.

“It is in everyone’s interest, both employer and employee, to have a Workers’ Compensation Scheme that is financially sustainable, competitive and assists injured workers to return to work as soon as they are fit to do so.

“The NSW business community supports the proposed changes put forward by the Government. The current proposals for reform of the Scheme are anticipated to have a positive impact on the scheme’s finances, and will focus support for the most seriously injured, where the community expects it should be focused.”

Kellon Beard

Regional Manager | Membership Services | NSW Business Chamber

Have you or your business developed a solution or program that has helped to reduce workplace injuries or illness? If so, why not get involved in the SafeWork awards. It’s fun, free, and you could get recognised and rewarded for helping to improve work health and safety!

Read More Here

NSW BUSINESS CHAMBER LAUNCHES HANDBOOK TO HELP EMPLOYERS HIRE MATURED AGED WORKERS

Mid North Coast NSW Business Chamber has launched a handbook that highlights the benefits to NSW employers of employing matured aged workers and tips to make a successful recruitment.

The handbook, “The Business Case for Recruiting and Retaining Mature Aged Workers”, is a joint publication between the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) and the NSW Business Chamber. The handbook is part of ACCI’s ‘Employ outside the Box’ campaign that is designed to help employers diversify their workforce.

“Mature aged workers can bring a wealth of experience and diversity to a workplace if they are given the opportunity to contribute,” said Kellon Beard, Mid North Coast NSW Business Chamber Regional Manager.

“Considering the skills shortages we are facing right across the national economy, matured aged workers are a resource that we are simply not utilising as effectively as we should.

“The message to NSW employers in our handbook is to make your next employment decision a conscious one to employ a mature aged worker.

Mr Beard said the handbook highlighted the benefits to employers and workplaces of hiring mature aged workers including:

Tapping into a source of skilled labour during a shortfall of skilled employees;

Established networks, external interests and experiences that add value to a business;

Loyalty and tendency to stay with an employer longer than younger employees;

Mentoring younger employees and passing on ‘corporate memory’ to other employees.

Mr Beard said the Federal Government had taken the first steps to promoting matured aged recruitment through financial incentives but more needed to be done to remove the misconceptions and prejudices around mature aged workers.

“Peak business organisations like state chambers of commerce are doing our bit to encourage our members to make their next recruitment a mature aged worker. We can all do a lot more in this area considering the benefits to our workplaces and the national economy.”

Copies of the handbook are available at www.nswbusinesschamber.com.au.

Announcement re additional incentive for Employers looking to recruit mature aged workers

Hi all,

As many would have heard throughout the media over the past few days, an additional incentive to recruit mature workers has been announced by the Australian Government.

For your general reference I have included a link with the details regarding this incentive.

http://www.deewr.gov.au/Employment/Programs/ExpPlus/Pages/supportformatureagejobseekers.aspx

Please feel free to circulate details to those who may be interested. If you have any questions or wish to discuss, please feel free to call or email.

Regards

Mark Almond

Employment Project Coordinator

Building Australia’s Future Workforce – Mid North Coast Region

Australian Government Dept of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations

3rd Floor, 3 Hopetoun Street (PO Box 627) CHARLESTOWN NSW 2290

Phone–(02) 4940 1707 Mobile-0412 834 590 Fax-(02) 6204 2368

“Closing the Gap” is everyone’s business

DEEWR acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia and

their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to

them and their cultures, and to the elders both past and present.

26 March 2012

BUSINESS COMMUNITY BACKS REFORM OF WORKCOVER

Mid North Coast NSW Business Chamber said it supports the NSW Government in reforming the WorkCover scheme by reducing premiums and bringing it into financial sustainability.

“The business community supports the move by Premier O’Farrell to make WorkCover more competitive and sustainable and bring it in line with other state regimes that are far more cost effective,” said Kellon Beard, Mid North Coast NSW Business Chamber Regional Manager.

“We know that businesses across NSW see the cost of workers’ compensation premiums as one of their key concerns. The NSW Business Chamber’s most recent Business Conditions Survey shows that times are tough for businesses in NSW and they are worried about the cost of doing business.

“WorkCover premiums are a significant cost for business and any steps the Government can take to reduce the burden can only help the business community in this continuing period of economic uncertainty.

“It’s in the interests of employers and employees to have a workers’ compensation scheme that is fair and financially sustainable and comparable with those in surrounding states. We don’t have that with the current scheme.

“A $4 billion blow out in the WorkCover scheme is evidence that the current approach is unstainable and that action needs to be taken to rein in costs and deliver fair and realistic support to people injured in the workplace.

“The competitive advantage of the NSW economy is being held back by a workers’ compensation system that can’t balance its books and is placing yet another heavy financial burden on NSW employers.”

Kellon Beard said NSW’s high WorkCover premiums along with the higher payroll tax rate are the two main barriers to economic growth in NSW.

Kellon Beard

Regional Manager | Membership Services | NSW Business Chamber

146-148 Gordon Street, Port Macquarie NSW 2444

Tel 02 6584 0910| Fax 02 6584 0930 | Mob 04 2776 7246 | Web nswbusinesschamber.com.au

1. Employees cannot attend for work because floodwaters have blocked access between their residence and the workplace.

In the absence of any specific provision in an employee’s contract of employment, an employee is not generally entitled to payment where he or she is unable to attend work because of the weather/floods.

2. An employee is able to attend for work but is unable to perform their duties because of flood waters.

Under section 524 of the Fair Work Act, an employer may stand-down an employee, without pay, during a period in which the employee cannot be “usefully employed” because of “a stoppage of work for any cause for which the employer cannot reasonably be held responsible”. For example, if the employer’s premises have been flooded, then this stand-down provision could be applied. We recommend that you notify your employees (if possible, in writing) if they are being stood-down without pay.

The only complication with this stand-down provision is the term “usefully employed”. While the term is not defined by the Act, the employer may need to show that steps were taken in trying to find useful work for the employee to perform e.g. performing work from home.

3. Community Service Leave.

Under the Fair Work Act, an employee is entitled to be absent from work on unpaid community service leave to engage in community activities including carrying out voluntary emergency management activities that involve dealing with a natural disaster and where duties are performed for a recognised emergency management body such as a State Emergency Services organisation or volunteer bush fire organisation.

ADVICE TO MEMBERS

1. Consult with your employees in relation to the problem.

2. Where an employee cannot attend work for reasons outlined in 1 and 2 above, consider offering the employee options such as:

• accessing forms of leave such as annual leave or long service leave;
• taking time off in lieu of overtime or leave without pay;
• alternate work options such as working from home or a different location/office.

3. Ensure your employees are treated consistently.

Local businesses to have a voice at Jobs Forum

The Mid North Coast region will have a voice at the Federal Government’s Jobs Forum next week after lobbying by the Mid North Coast NSW Business Chamber for regional businesses to be represented at the Forum.

Mid North Coast NSW Business Chamber wrote to local Federal MP, Rob Oakeshott, calling for regional business communities to have a voice at the Jobs Forum. As a result, Mr Oakeshott will be accompanied to the Jobs Forum by representatives from Industry Mid North Coast.

“When the Jobs Form was announced the Chamber was adamant that the Forum will need representatives from regional areas of Australia to ensure all voices and ideas are heard – I’m pleased to see that our local MP has secured a local voice at the Forum,” said Kellon Beard, Mid North Coast NSW Business Chamber Regional Manager.

“The Jobs Forum is a great opportunity to come up with solutions to the challenges that are facing important segment of the Australian economy – we have a booming mining sector that requires more skilled workers while at the same time the retail and manufacturing sectors are facing pressures of lower customer spending confidence, higher dollar and international competition.”

Mr Beard said he hoped that the Jobs Forum would not become another Federal Government talkfest but a vehicle to deliver economic reform and jobs growth.

Mr Beard said the Future Jobs Forum should identify solutions to the challenges facing Australian businesses including:

• The future of manufacturing – how will manufacturers cope with a high Australian dollar, carbon tax and international competition?
• Fair Work Act – is the Act working the way it was intended to and what reforms are required to support job creation, innovation and productivity growth?
• Challenges facing retailers – what does the increasing popularity of online retailing mean for the future of brick and mortar retailers?
• Carbon Tax – does Australia’s ‘go it alone’ approach to climate change increase pressure on Australian businesses and place them in an unfair and uncompetitive position?
• Taxation – are the current settings for the carbon tax, company tax, GST and payroll tax appropriate to encourage job creation?
• Skills shortages – what long term impact will the multi speed economy and ageing population have on skills shortages?
• Youth unemployment – how do we improve the school to work transition for young people?
• Funding for universities – are financial incentives driving the right number and type of graduates?

“Everything needs to be on the table at the Future Jobs Forum. Employers have serious reservations about what effects the Fair Work Act, the Carbon Tax and the high Australian dollar are having on Australia’s competitive edge. These should all be discussed in a frank and open debate.”

Media Contact: Kellon Beard 0427 767 246

Kellon Beard

Regional Manager

Mid North Coast NSW Business Chamber &

New England NSW Business Chamber

146-148 Gordon Street Port Macquarie NSW 2444

Tel: +612 6584 0910 | Mob: 0427 767 246 | Fax: 02 6584 0930

Web: www.nswbusinesschamber.com.au

For further info go to  http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&q=nsw+job+action+plan

Full details of the plan click this link http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&q=nsw+job+action+plan

The deadline for applications will be extended to 7th May with interviewing expected to start about 10 May.

Bellingen River Festival – Coordinator Wanted

An opportunity to celebrate the beauty of the Bellinger River together; to reflect on its history, understand the current issues and move forward as a community to nurture and value it into the future.

Transition Bellingen is seeking a motivated and inspiring individual to provide core direction for the Bellinger River Festival on September 11th, 2011. Previous experience in event management is highly desirable. Position will be a contract arrangement $25/hr plus allowances.

Position description River Festival Coordinator PD

For more information please email

bellingen-river-festival-organising-group@googlegroups.com or contact Andrew: 0488 260 534.