Changes to Casual Staff Working Arrangements
My interview on TripleM this week discussed this in more detail.
Under the new legislation, casual staff must be offered a permanent position if they have been receiving regular shifts over a 12-month period, or if they do 6 months full time work in this 12-month period.
In my opinion, this will not increase the number of people in permanent positions. Employers looking to utilise causal staff will simply at the appropriate time, advise there is no longer a position, then simply employ a new casual.
This will also apply to casuals being offered regular ongoing work. However, all the employer has to advise is that they cannot guarantee hours and shifts, so therefore do not need to offer a permanent p contact, even though the employee may end up working a regular shift.
This will be very similar to the traineeships that are offered by employers. Take a on a trainee at very low cost for 12 months, with view to making role permanent at completion and then advisee the employee that there is no permanent position, and then 2 weeks later, start another trainee. This has been going on for years.
As long as there is a loophole, employers will use these to get the best results for themselves. And I understand and appreciate this. Employers have their own needs to consider at all times.
This to me seems like an idea not thoroughly thought through, and I see no real impact in the reduction of casual staff, which I believe it is what these changes intend.