ACAPMA COVID-19 Roundup | as at 11:15 22/8/2020

                                           COVID-19 Roundup  |  as at 11:15   22/08/2020   (last Roundup 17/08/2020)

This message has been sent to the Principle for each business as per the ACAPMA Member Register.  Please feel free to forward through your business as required.

Follow ACAPMA on LinkedIn for articles and resources as they are released, so you don’t have to wait until COB to get your information;  https://au.linkedin.com/company/australasian-convenience-and-petroleum-marketers-association-acapma-

  Whats New - Changes and Items of Interest

• JobKeeper
  The update to the Rules and governing legislation to bring into effect the next stage of JobKeeper are expected very soon, and ACAPMA will update Members as soon as it is public.  But in the mean time there have been a few questions that warrant addressing here;
• Can an employee work for another business full or part time and get JobKeeper from my business? 
  NO! The employee declaration form (both the old one and the new one, contain a declaration that the employee is not permanently (full or part time) employed by any other business.  If your business is aware that an employee is working full or part time for another business then you will need to remove them from your eligible employee list.  Remember the ATO does not deal in part Pay Periods…so once the JobKeeper Pay Period has started you own the employee $1,500 before tax as a minimum for that whole period – even if you terminate them or they are removed from eligibility on day 1 of the pay period…they get paid for the whole period
• Is One-In-All-In still a thing? 
  YES!  Since JobKeeper started the rule has been if the business chooses to participate then ALL eligible employees must be given the nomination form, and ig they nominate, they must be included.  This means if the business has staff who are eligible with the new additional Employee Eligibility Test Date of 1/7/2020 (so new permanent staff hired between 1/3/2020 and 1/7/2020, casual staff who made the 12 month service minimum sometime between 1/3/2020 and 1/7/2020, junior staff who turned 18 between 1/3/2020 and 1/7/2020 and any staff who have achived permanent residency between 1/3/2020 and 1/7/2020).  If you are a JobKeeper Participating business and have not yet added your newly eligible staff to your list for JobKeeper you need to NOW.  There is a 24/8/2020 deadline to add them, after which the business would be in breach for failure to add the staff.
• If I know my business is not going to qualify after 27/9/2020 do I still have to add people that became eligible on 1/7/2020?
  YES!!  As above it is a one-in-all-in thing, all staff have to receive the minimum wage condition and be claimed if they are eligible and nominate.
• Is the new Nomination Form out?
  YES! Published on 14/8/2020 and available at - https://www.ato.gov.au/forms/jobkeeper-payment---employee-nomination-notice/
• More on JobKeeper as known right now:  https://acapmag.com.au/2020/08/jobkeeper-stage-2-3-everything-you-need-to-know/
• QLD Lockdown

This morning our Norther colleagues have woken to find that they are facing a return of some of the lockdown provisions.  From 8:00am today (22/8/2020) gatherings in homes, private and public spaces (including parks) are limited to 10 people in the Greater Brisbane area and 30 people in the rest of the State.  There has been no change to the operating parameters for businesses at this stage, but all businesses are cautioned to actively review their plans, and ensure that complacency is not creeping in when it comes to distancing, hygiene and cleaning.

• Border Restrictions

The chaos at the borders seems to be ever increasing.  The National Cabinet met on this matter on Friday and while there has been no resolution as yet the frustration of all is clear.  ACAPMA is actively working at individual business and industry level to get the situation addressed and is calling for members who have been experiencing business interruption issues due to border restrictions to take the time to write a detailed email to us at communications@acapma.com.au outlining what your business has faced and the impact it has had on your operations.  These will be collated and utilised in our discussions with State governments. 

For more on the madness at the border from a familiar face check out one ACAPMA members frustration at bureaucracy needlessly endangering his staff and preventing the creation of over 40 new rural jobs - https://acapmag.com.au/2020/08/bureaucracy-gone-mad-nsw-vic-border-hurdle-risks-health-and-jobs/

• Melbourne and grater VIC

The pain of the second lockdown is a familiar one at this point, and the videos of the COVIDiots have thankfully slowed…but as Melbourne reaches the halfway point of the lockdown it is expected that businesses, operators, staff and customers will be reaching the end of their mental rope.  This is not an easy thing, and while the number are encouraging the crisis fatigue is real – So it is a good time to reiterate a couple of things to yourselves as operators and as humans, and to those humans around you…. It is ok not to be ok, and it shows strength to ask for help!  If you or your staff are struggling…seek help.   

The Beyond Blue COVID-19 Mental Wellbeing support service is now up and running.  See; https://acapmag.com.au/2020/04/beyond-blue-welcomes-funding-for-new-covid-19-support-service/ for more details and call 1300 224 636 24/7 for help

There are resources available to assist you and your employee’s mental health including:

• Beyond Blue has developed free resources to assist you to find the information you need to feel confident in playing a support role. These can be accessed at headsup.org.au
• The My Business Health web portal offers dedicated holistic support to you to manage your outgoings, to access financial support, to prepare, respond and recover as the economy reopens, and how to seek out emotional support.
• Every mind’s Ahead for Business, is another online resource specially designed to help you understand your mental health, manage business stress and provides tailored recommendations, information and programs.

• SA COVID Marshal…

No official answer on the applicability of this element to Roadhouses – the question has been escalated, however it is likely to be some time before an answer is forthcoming.  In the mean time businesses will need to plan to train and appoint COVID Marshals or consider rolling back to take away only.  For more on the COVID Marshals in SA see; https://www.covid-19.sa.gov.au/recovery/covid-marshals; for the COVID Marshal SA Training see; https://marshal.clickontraining.com.au/

• NSW COVID Marshal…

The official answer on the need for roadhouses in NSW to have a COVID Marshal has not come down yet.  We are still chasing, but it is looking more likley that businesses will need to make the call either to appoint a Marshal or to flip to takeaway only.  See; https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/industry-guidelines/covid-19-safe-hygiene-marshal

   ACAPMA Consolidated COVID-19 Articles and Resources

EMPLOYMENT

• For general information on the situation and the implications for employing staff, including new sections on Payments and Leave, and considerations around business downturn see; https://acapmag.com.au/2020/03/hr-highlight-managing-covid19-risk-in-the-workplace/

OPERATIONS

• For information and resources on Keeping Customers and Staff Safe see the ACAPMA COVIDSafe Plan – Guide and Training; https://acapmag.com.au/2020/05/acapma-covidsafe-plan-and-free-covid-awareness-training-released/
• For practical guidance on achieving Social Distancing in Retail, including guides and posters see; https://acapmag.com.au/2020/03/safe-distancing-in-retail-maximum-vs-practical-limits-and-communications-to-customers/
• For practical guidance on Roadhouses and the exemptions to allow Dine In for Heavy Vehicle Drivers, including guides and posters see; https://acapmag.com.au/2020/04/states-confirm-roadhouse-open-for-dine-in-for-heavy-vehicle-drivers/

BORDER CLOSURES

• For information on Boarder Closures see; https://acapmag.com.au/2020/03/border-restrictions-what-you-need-to-know/

BUSINESS RELIEF MEASURES

• For information on the raft of support measures available to businesses, including the Job keeper Wage Subsidy see; https://acapmag.com.au/2020/03/wage-subsidy-what-you-need-to-know/
• For the one stop list of all COVID-19 Business Support Measures, including links and information see the ACAPMA COVID-19 Business Assistance Quick Reference Guide.pdf – ACAPMA Members can request a copy of the Guide by emailing employment@acapma.com.au .

HAVE QUESTIONS?

Email employment@acapma.com.au and we will get you answers and fold those answers into these consolidated articles

   Follow ACAPMA on LinkedIn, so you get the daily updates - https://au.linkedin.com/company/australasian-convenience-and-petroleum-marketers-association-acapma-

We are edging ever closer to less frequent changes in the COVID-19 space, and that is encouraging.  There will come a time when we will not have to send out these updates, but for now the situation is changing so rapidly that these updates are seen as necessary to ensure that Members are updated.  If you would like to be removed from the update list please reply to this email and request removal.

Stay safe everyone – long distance hugs and high fives for you all! 

E

Should you require any further information or assistance please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kindest Regards

Elisha Radwanowski