Providers will need to foot the bill for increases in overtime and weekend award rates after the Fair Work Commission agreed to defer the first stage increase by six months – but rejected a call by employers for a longer phase-in period.
Under the changes, casual employees in both aged care and disability on award rates will receive a casual loading when working overtime, weekends or public holidays in addition to any overtime and penalty rates that apply.
The changes had ben due to start 1 December 2019, but the Commission agreed they could wait until the start of the new financial year.
As we previously reported, the FWC already raised the national minimum wage by 3% from 1 July 2019 – from $740.80 per week or $19.49 per hour – well above the 1.5% indexation of aged care funding.
But with the Royal Commission highlighting the lower wages of all aged care nurses and personal care workers as a significant issue last week, expect to hear more on this issue.
Picture: The current casual rates for aged care workers as of 1 July 2019.
