Are you Christmas-Casual ready?

​With the Christmas season fast approaching, so is the need to hire Christmas casuals for those employers who experience increased trade during the Christmas period. Therefore, employers must know a few obligations when hiring Christmas Casuals.

​The obligations for Christmas casuals are the same as those of any casual employee under the Fair Work Act.
Under the Fair Work Act, a person is defined as a casual employee if:
 

• They are offered a job.
• The offer does not include a firm advance commitment that the work will continue indefinitely with an agreed work pattern. 
• They accept the offer knowing that there is no firm advance commitment.

 
Under the NES, casual employees are entitled to:
 

• Unpaid carer's leave and compassionate leave of 2 days each
• 5-day unpaid family and domestic violence leave (changing to 10 days unpaid leave in 2023)
• Unpaid community service leave
• Access to permanent employment

 
Other obligations:          
 
1. Know which awards and agreements apply to your casuals
 2. Be aware of the minimum pay rates, penalties, and allowances that apply
 3. Before or upon beginning their casual job, provide new casual employees with a Casual Employment Information Statement (CEIS)
 4. Make sure the employee has a copy of the Fair Work Information System (FWIS)
 5. Employees should receive super at the current minimum rate of 10.5% of their OTE, regardless of their income
 6. If an employee is under 18 years old, pay super guarantee only if they work over 30 hours per week.
 7. Provide payslips within one working day of paying wages.