Today in Hobart the Council of Small Business Organisations (COSBOA) CEO Luke Achterstraat, announced a new, government-funded information program, Small Business PEAK, designed to assist small businesses navigate the complex workplace relations (WR) changes.
The program, underpinned by a national research study into WR changes impacting Australian small businesses, uncovered 56% of businesses are unaware of the changes happening in the WR space. Only 7% of research respondents had a comprehensive understanding of the WR changes that have occurred in the last three years.
The research also found 64.7% didn’t know or were unaware of what’s required under the casual conversion WR changes which start from 26 August 2024. In addition, 63% of respondents didn’t know or were unaware of what the new definition of a casual employee will be.
Luke Achterstraat said, “The research highlights the low levels of awareness of WR changes. This was true across all industry sectors which demonstrates why Small Business PEAK is so critical to the small business community.”
Small Business PEAK ensures businesses don’t need to decipher legal jargon to be able to understand the legislation. The program simplifies the most intricate WR changes, making compliance a straightforward process for their business.
On 1 January 2025, intentional underpayment of wages by employers will become a criminal offence under the new workplace laws. Only 28.7% of research respondents were currently aware of their requirements under the criminalising intentional wage underpayments WR changes.
In the worst case scenario, individuals can face a penalty of a maximum of 10 years in prison if they have been found to have committed wage theft under the new WR laws.
“Small businesses need to understand which WR changes apply to their operations, when they come into effect and how to ensure they meet their employer obligations and business reporting responsibilities,” Achterstraat explained.
COSBOA’s Small Business PEAK delivers:
- Free small business materials such as information sheets, timelines and in-depth explanations of changing workplace relations legislation
- Canva tool which allows small businesses to customise WR materials to suit their brand and industry
- Practical case studies provide guidance on how the WR changes apply in easy to follow scenarios
- AI-powered chatbot capable of answering questions about the latest WR changes
“The 24/7 chatbot functionality means busy small business owners can receive speedy responses to their high-level questions with answers they can rely on,” Achterstraat said.
Small Business PEAK will be rolled out in phases. The first stage will provide employers with a library of free resources about some of the WR changes under the Closing Loopholes, Secure Jobs, Better Pay and Protecting Workers Entitlements legislation.
Employers and their employees will have immediate access to information to better their understanding of wage underpayments, changes to casual employment, the minimum wage increase update and changes to the superannuation guarantee.
The second phase will see a portal for small business owners to sign up and gain even more information and support to navigate the multi-faceted WR changes rolling out into 2025.
“We hope our new resource hub will empower small business and support this engine room of our economy during these complex and uncertain times,” Achterstraat said.
To learn more about Small Business PEAK, small businesses are encouraged to visit www.smallbusinesspeak.org.au. To register your interest for phase two please email [email protected].
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Luke Achterstraat
Chief Executive Officer
Council of Small Business Organisations Australia
