Covid-19 Update

Victorian Government introduces “Permitted Worker Permit”

From 11:59pm Wednesday 5 August 2020, the Victorian Government is requiring the close down of almost all businesses in the state, with the exception of specifically permitted industries and businesses. Please see below for the National Retail Association document outlining affected businesses in metropolitan Melbourne.

The Victorian Government has announced that all employers who are permitted to continue operations and whose employees are required to attend a work site must issue these workers with a ‘Permitted Worker Permit’. Employers and employees travelling to and from work must carry this permit or they could face on-the-spot fines of up to $1,652 (for individuals) and $9,913 (for businesses).

Employers can access a copy of the permit here.

Employers and employees must complete and sign this permit, which includes details about the employee’s work location and hours of work.

For more information on the Permit, please visit the Victorian Government’s website here or here. Please note there is a significant load on the Victorian Government website which may require several attempts.

If you want to confirm whether you are a ‘permitted’ business, please call Business Victoria on 13 22 15 for further guidance.

DOWNLOAD THE PERMIT TEMPLATE
VICTORIAN FACE MASK TO ENTER SIGNAGE (5 AUG) (PDF)
CLICK & COLLECT SIGNAGE AND MORE (PDF)

NRA releases new “Employing Staff During COVID-19” Guide 

In an effort to further assist retailers during this tumultuous time, the NRA workplace relations time has compiled a guide to address frequently asked questions from our membership base. This guide outlines the options available to employers to manage their employees during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

It does not deal with the JobKeeper Payment Scheme, and employers should refer to the separate JobKeeper Payment Scheme FAQ published by the NRA.

Queensland declares entirety of New South Wales and ACT as ‘hotspots’, closes borders

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palazczuk has announced today that Queensland will close to all of NSW and the ACT from August 8, 2020 at 1am AEST.

The decision to close the borders again came after Queensland confirmed one new case – a 68-year-old woman from West Moreton. Her infection is still under investigation.

NSW confirmed 12 new cases yesterday however the ACT hasn’t had an active case since July 31.

Parking Australia announces all metropolitan Melbourne car parks will close from midnight 

On Monday Premier Daniel Andrews announced that all car parks in metropolitan Melbourne are to close at 11.59pm on Wednesday, 5 August 2020. Since this announcement Parking Australia endeavoured to seek further guidance from the Government but have not received a response. As such, they are advising the closures will proceed from the allocated time.

It is must be noted that the car park closures includes council off-street parking in addition to privately owned facilities.

eBay extends offer to retailers to assist transition online

To help retailers transition to online, eBay Australia is offering all new sellers no selling fees for 3 months when they open a Basic or Featured eBay Store before 30 September 2020. To sign up click the button below.

SIGN UP FOR EBAY OFFER