The Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Service (SCHADS) Industry Award for 2023–24 has been released by the Fair Work Commission and applies from 1 July.  

We remind providers of the importance of keeping track of your employer obligations under the SCHADS Award and paying staff at least the minimum entitlements. When such changes are made to modern awards, you should update your payroll systems and mitigate the risk of a breach.  

You also need to be aware that, when wages are increased, allowances need to be increased accordingly. Failing to pay the correct allowances is a form of underpayment. The penalties and back-pay liabilities for underpaying staff have never been higher, even if the infringement is an honest mistake.  

As well as the award increase, we remind providers of three recent changes to Fair Work Legislation: 

• So-called “zombie agreements”, those made before 2010 when the Fair Work Act came in, will automatically end in December.  
• Under certain circumstances, a worker on unpaid parental leave can extend their leave for up to 12 months.  
• And since June, a worker can request flexible working arrangements if pregnant or experiencing family and domestic violence. 

With the changes complex and the penalties — even for unintended violations — high, NDS’s human resources and industrial relations partner, WorkPlacePLUS, have created resources to help you do the right thing by your workers and avoid risk of a breach. Contact them for a copy of the 2023–24 SCHADS pay guide.  

They also offer a half-day training session, called SCHADS: Know your Award, to make sure you are paying the right wages and entitlements. They have collected recent case studies of organisations who paid the price for not properly applying the award.

WorkPlacePLUS provides best practice workplace relations advice and support when you need it. They can partner with you to address your specific people and culture issues. Please complete NDS’s professional advisory services online form to submit your IR/HR query.