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Modern awards are a vital part of the current workplace landscape in Australia. These rules and regulations provide a compliance framework for all businesses operating within those industries.
Businesses and employees must adhere to this compliance framework to ensure they operate within the law and understand their rights and entitlements.
Employers who breach these could result in hefty fines. For example, an employer who fails to pay their employees the minimum wage could be fined up to $63,000 per breach.
Continuing to contravene your obligations in terms of the relevant nursing awards may lead to severe consequences for your business, including potentially having to pay back any lost wages and rates to the employee(s). This can be seriously detrimental for most organisations.
The Nurses Award sets out the minimum conditions of employment for nurses and other healthcare professionals working in various settings.
These minimum conditions include pay rates, leave entitlements, and rostering requirements. Employers who do not comply with these awards can be subject to penalties.
There are several reasons why an employer might not comply with the awards. They may be unaware of their obligations, or they may deliberately choose to flout the rules. However, in some cases, non-compliance can result from unintentional errors or inadequate systems and processes.
Unfortunately, there's not much guidance from the Fair Work Commission regarding staying compliant with all its regulations. The Fair Work website is not always easy to navigate, and it can be hard to find the information you need. Many employers fall into non-compliance traps purely on the grounds of a misunderstanding. Combined with the specific nature of each area of the industry and the very technical legal jargon, it's no wonder that so many businesses struggle to stay on top of their compliance obligations.
Employers in the nursing sector must also be aware of the potential pitfalls associated with allowances. Employees are eligible for specific allowances based on their skills or tasks, which can often be significant. Most employers believe that they can add a chunk of money to their employees' salaries, but it doesn't work that way. For example, if you require your staff to work two separate shifts in a single day, they are entitled to a broken shift allowance. It's your responsibility to pay them each and every allowance relevant to their line of work.
Whatever the reason, non-compliance with the awards can have serious consequences for nursing and healthcare providers.
Employment Hero Payroll’s cloud payroll software automatically applies modern award or enterprise agreement rules to ensure your business remains compliant year-round.
Beyond that, you can automate your entire payroll process from importing timesheet data, gross to net reporting and leave accruals for all scenarios to super calculations and ATO reporting.
NoahFace offers an app-based time and attendance software called NoahFace Go which automates scheduling, time tracking and attendance records for site workers.
In addition, the timekeeping records will automatically integrate with your Employment Hero cloud payroll software.
Go paperless and automate the employee onboarding process with Employment Hero’s employee HR software - an end-to-end people management platform that covers every aspect of the employee lifecycle.
By incorporating everything you need to recruit, onboard, roster, and manage your aged care team, Employment Hero increases efficiency and drives productivity across every aspect of your workforce.
As a nursing business owner, you know that efficient payroll is essential to the success of your business.
But with so many other demands on your time, it can be difficult to keep up with the paperwork and make sure everything is done correctly.
PayCat can help take the hassle out of payroll by offering an all-in-one system that makes it easy to manage your employee information, process payroll, and stay compliant with government regulations.
With varying modern awards and industry regulations to get your head around, we understand that working out your obligations as an employer can be overwhelming.
Running a business is complicated enough without having to worry about payroll compliance issues.
That's why Pay Cat offers a comprehensive range of services designed to keep your business in line with relevant regulations, awards, and employee entitlements.
From implementing payroll software and time and attendance solutions to providing training and advice, our team of experts can help you identify potential compliance problems before they become serious issues.
We also offer a range of support services to help you stay up-to-date with industry-specific standards.
Not sure what category your business falls into or what awards your employees come under?
Download our free eBooks to see how relevant modern awards could impact your business. Best of all, these guides are entirely jargon-free so that you can understand your rights and obligations in plain English.