With the first round of JobKeeper payments rolling in this week, more than 700,000 businesses will be receiving the subsidies which will go to 4.7 million employees, according to the ABC.
With that in mind, we thought we’d answer some frequently asked questions surrounding the payment.
With the JobKeeper payments rolling out nation-wide this week, here are the answers to some frequently asked questions.
Can I receive less than $1,500?
No. Everyone who has been signed up to JobKeeper must be paid at least $1,500 before tax, even if their hours are reduced.
Can employers reduce the hours of their employees if they’re contracted to do a certain amount?
If employees cannot be usefully employed at their place of work then employers can reduce their hours. However, employers are not allowed to reduce hours in order to pay their employees less than $1,500 JobKeeper amount.
Do you need to work extra hours in order to receive the JobKeeper payment?
No. Anyone receiving JobKeeper is only required to work their normal hours. Those eligible for the payment include full-time, part-time, and casual employees who have worked at their workplace for at least a year, which means if you fit into any of those categories you can receive the payment for your normal work hours. Head here to check if you’re eligible for JobKeeper.
Of course, if you normally earn more than $1,500 you should continue to get your normal amount if you are still working your normal hours.
According to the Fair Work Ombudsman, if your employer asks you to work extra hours they need to be reasonable, and an employee is able to refuse any request to work unreasonable additional hours. Working additional hours in order to equal the JobKeeper payment would not be a reasonable reason.
When should I be receiving the payment?
The payments are rolling out this week and employers have until Friday, May 8 to make the payments for the month of April.
For more information, head to the Fair Work Ombudsman.
