Employing Staff
Employing staff can be complicated, and comes with certain legal and ethical obligations. You must:
- ensure you pay your employees at least the minimum rate of pay, and provide the minimum conditions
- ensure that you are withholding PAYG tax for them
- ensure that you pay a minimum of 9 percent of their gross wages into superannuation
- maintain a working environment which is safe, and free of harassment, discrimination and bullying
- take out a workplace injury insurance policy
- not employ a child under the age of 15 unless you have a permit to do so.
Wages and conditions
Wages and conditions vary widely between different jobs and industries. Wages are the amount you must pay your workers. Conditions cover how long they can work in one week, and how much leave they must be given (including holiday leave, personal leave and parental leave).
Superannuation
Employers must contribute 9 percent of a staff member's gross salary or wages into a complying superannuation fund or retirement savings account. This is to ensure that your employees have enough money to support themselves when they retire.
You don't have to pay superannuation to an employee who:
- receives less than $450 a month in salary or wages
- is under 18 years old and works less than 30 hours a week
- is aged 70 years or over.
Safe working environments
All Victorian employers must provide a safe and healthy workplace for their staff - and those that don't face significant fines and the potential for jail sentences. This includes:
- providing training and safety equipment as required for all equipment
- acting fairly
- not supporting or participating in anything that could be regarded as harassment, discrimination or bullying.
Worksafe Victoria is the government agency that manages Victoria's workplace safety system.
Workplace injury insurance
If you pay more than A$7500 a year in wages, benefits and superannuation, or you have apprentices or trainees, you must have a workplace injury insurance policy.
If one of your workers makes a claim for compensation and you don't have a policy, you will be required to register for workplace injury insurance and will have to pay a registration fee. If you don't have a policy when you should have one, you may be fined and have to pay the cost of any claims that happened while you were uninsured.
For information on how to choose and apply for a workplace injury policy, visit the Business Victoria website.
Further information
For a step by step guide to recruiting staff, and information on minimum wages, leave, superannuation and health and safety, visit the Business Victoria website.
Victoria
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Last updated: 20 July 2009
State Government of Victoria