For many businesses Christmas means more stock, more sales and…a shortage of labour!
No matter how much planning and preparation is put into the Christmas frenzy period, finding staff on short notice and for a short time is always problematic for businesses. A hastily written Seek ad or a post on a Facebook community page often means there has been little thought put into the job description, the job requirements, the legal documentation and the calibre of the candidate appointed.
A rushed hire of a casual employee opens your business up to multiple risks. With poorly communicated expectations and the absence of important paperwork to ensure the employee works appropriately, the casual employee becomes a liability of potentially harmful consequences.
A casual worker is a person who is engaged by a business, but they do not have regular or systematic hours of work - nor do they have a reasonable expectation of continuing work. A casual worker does not commit to do all work an employer might offer. Casuals are usually employed daily, as and when the need arises – they therefore have no guarantee hours of work.
Casuals, like other employees in the workplace, have workplace rights and are entitled to some (but not all) of the benefits given to permanent employees. Casual employees don’t get holiday pay or sick leave, but they are entitled to a higher pay rate (called Casual Loading – usually 25%), parental leave and in some instances, are protected from unfair dismissals.
Before falling into the trap of employing casuals in a rush, businesses are encouraged to take these steps:
To make sure this Christmas is different, put into action our six simple steps. This will give you peace of mind as you engage casual workers for this festive season.
We encourage all business owners who intend to employ casual employees over this Christmas period, to use our FREE Casual Employee Contract to ensure the right agreement is used. Download it here.