Meeting your employee obligations

Employees are arguably a business’s greatest asset and are vital to its growth and prosperity. But to make the most of this valuable resource, employers must ensure that they fulfil their legal responsibilities and moral obligations as an employer.

To help avoid having a call from the Fair Work Ombudsman, here are a few points to consider:

National Employment Standards (NES)
The NES are a set of standards set forward by the Fair Work Act 2009 and acts as a guide that underpins modern awards, enterprise agreements and employment contracts. The ten NES include:

• Maximum weekly hours of work

• Requests for flexible working arrangements

• Unpaid parental leave and related entitlements

• Annual leave

• Personal / carer’s leave and compassionate leave

• Community service leave

• Long service leave

• Public holidays

• Notice of termination of employment and redundancy pay

• Ensuring you provide the Fair work information statement

Superannuation Guarantee
When it comes to superannuation, your obligations as an employer are simple. All employers must contribute 9.5 per cent superannuation on behalf of their employees on a quarterly basis. Super contributions must now be processed through a registered clearing house to ensure compulsory and voluntary contributions are allocated accordingly.

Entitlements
It is important that pay templates are setup immaculately so that all leave types accrue correctly from the moment you hire each employee. Allocating entitlements correctly from day one ensures that you will not find yourself in trouble down the track. Ideally, businesses may benefit from opening up a separate account so that money can be put aside for obligations.