Congratulations to newly elected Premier Chris Minns who led New South Wales Labor to victory over the weekend. In the lead up to the election, NSW Labor announced an election commitment to enact harsher penalties for aggressive customers. As we have already seen in South Australia, this would mean customers who assault retail staff will be penalised with a prison sentence if convicted.
Through NRA’s policy and advocacy efforts, we are working towards every state and territory implementing a similar approach to ensure our workers and work environments are safe.
On another note, Easter is fast approaching. Employers should be considering their rostering requirements for this period and we have updated our Easter and Anzac Day trading hour restrictions fact sheet to assist with scheduling hours. It contains information for each state and territory, and in particular South Australia and Western Australia which have recently undergone legislative changes in this area.
While we’re on the topic; rostering compliance is an important issue for retailers. Recent headlines have brought to light how easily small mistakes made across a large workforce add up to large numbers. It’s essential for retail management teams to ensure wage compliance and understand the complex rules in the General Retail Industry Award. For this reason, members are encouraged to register for our masterclass on Wednesday 12 April to help you roster your team more efficiently and identify any compliance risks before they become a problem.
Our industry leading team are continuing their hard work to ensure members are ahead of the workplace relations curve. With the consumer response to the cost of living crunch causing a significant drop in spending, this can have far-reaching impacts on business. One of the unfortunate realities is that this may lead to workforce reductions in order to stay profitable. How you navigate those circumstances can be tricky, as the employer has obligations and responsibilities to meet. On Monday 3 April NRA Legal will delve into the implications of this course of action, covering your requirements, employee rights and tips for managing the dismissal process with confidence.
Have a great week.