A key announcement that businesses need to bear in mind is the federal government's proposed changes to the eligibility rules for its Paid Parental Leave (PPL) scheme "to remove the ability for individuals to double dip, by taking payments from both their employer and the Government."
If this change is implemented, employees applying for PPL on and after 1 July 2016 will find their PPL benefit affected by any parental leave payments made by their employer.
The Government states that its intention is for primary carers to have access to PPL at least equal to the maximum PPL benefit (currently 18 weeks at the national minimum weekly wage - $640.90 in 2014-2015).
But it's not yet clear how this change will be implemented. Read our full article about this here...
Also, in another important Workplace-related announcement, the government has indicated that, over the next three years, Comcare's average premium rate will drop by almost 12 per cent. This may encourage businesses that qualify for the Comcare self-insurance scheme to consider moving across to Comcare. For further information about qualification for that scheme, please see an article by senior associate Matthew Orr on this topic here...
This publication does not deal with every important topic or change in law and is not intended to be relied upon as a substitute for legal or other advice that may be relevant to the reader's specific circumstances. If you have found this publication of interest and would like to know more or wish to obtain legal advice relevant to your circumstances please contact one of the named individuals listed.
