Will Hunter, Yorke Peninsula Country Times
Casual employees who work a regular pattern of hours may soon have the right to request a permanent position sooner in their employment, under proposed federal government reform.
The definition of what it means to be a casual employee is set to be redefined to allow eligible workers a stronger pathway to secure permanent employment.
The proposal will offer casuals who work regular and systematic hours — as they would if they were in a part-time or full-time position — the ability to convert to a permanent position after six months of employment.
The current National Employment Standards currently requires businesses to offer casual employees the same pathway after 12 months on the job.
Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Tony Burke said there were many casual employees trying to support households and could benefit from the job security a permanent position provides.
“They’re being used as though they’re permanent workers and the employer is double dipping — taking all the advantages of a reliable workforce and not providing any of the job security in return,” Mr Burke said.
“That loophole needs to close.”
The majority of Jo Gibbons’ staff at Taste the Yorke, Moonta, are casual employees and she said the current employment standards have been successful in providing her employees with a transitional pathway.
“A lot of current staff, who are in a position where they’ve just left school, are taking a gap year or are studying over a period of time and aren’t looking to commit to a permanent part-time or full-time role,” she said.
“They prefer the flexibility of a casual role and, more importantly, the cash from the casual loading up front, most of my staff are casual because they choose to be.”
Ms Gibbons said she would not expect a huge uptick in the number of casuals converting to permanent roles as it is entirely voluntary.
“I do understand there are instances where you want to develop someone further or put them into more of a management role, so you might encourage them to convert to a permanent role, I think the existing framework is already in place for that,” she said.
“We should be investing in our casual employees anyway, we pay them a loading but, as an employer, I believe I should be providing training and skills to my staff regardless of their employment status.”
This article appeared in Yorke Peninsula Country Times, 29 August 2023.
