HOT TOPIC Annual/Long Service Leave

[Dog_ger]

Looks like,

they are testing the water to make all hard working people take their leave to help the economy.

Pfff,

Employers, what about paying us for our un-used sick leave, to help your company?

No need to waste money, training an agency to cover us....

Come on Kevin 747.....

[Dirko]

Nothing new. My old company I worked for "asked" you to take leave once you accrued 20 or more days of leave. When this policy came in there was a bit of "we're not doing it" attitude, but once the ball started rolling, people actually started taking holidays more frequently and it was a very rare occasion when we had to prod someone to take leave.

If they paid out sick leave I would've retired at 30....

[TEX07]

At present we are currently working 9 day fortnights due to the economy as you stated, this can be either taken as annual, long service or unpaid leave. Was not all that happy to start with but having spoken to a few in our office that did this exact thing years ago and these people still work for the company. It was either this way or redundancies to 2-3 people, this way we all keep our jobs, well for now anyway!

[mighty_tiger_79]

i know a few plaecs that force people to take leave if they have a lot of hours banked up.

if this comes in there will be a lot more people that will take there sickies.....

[JK]

We've never forced any of our employee's to take Annual Leave (only time we've suggested it is if we thought they really needed a break for their own health/sanity lol) BUT, I can understand why a lot of employee's would.

Some of our guys earn their leave at a MUCH lower pay-rate than they will be paid at, and it's quite a liability to have over your head when your employee's are generally with you for a large number of years, which is usually the case for us.

A lot of people are quick to point the bone at Employers, and Im sure that's very valid in many instances, but many aren't aware that the advantages of owning/operating a small business these days are pretty minimal, and that most businesses don't have unlimited funds ... The more tax they are forced to pay and the higher pay rates required to keep quality staff can't be extracted from unlimited funds, which then places strain on the budget, which then generally forces a microscope on overheads with view to reduction and the payroll is one of the heftiest overheads in most situations, meaning jobs can be put at risk.

[bayman]

how people don't take holidays is beyond me, you need at the very least to recharge the batteries.....i've been back at work for 3 weeks after holidays & already looking forward not only to the footy season but long service as well , to me life, family & friends are more important than work

[Dutchy]

tough one this, business want you to take it for obvious reasons but if they are struggling you must be thinking a redundancy is nearby if things dont pick up...if you get a redundancy you wont have the cushion of LSL payout (which is at a low tax rate) to assist you in the transition to a new job

[Thiele]

Have been asked to take my long service leave, might take a couple of weeks or there. I have also been asked annual leave when i reach over 200 hours

[Dog_ger]

I cashed my long service in and paid off Debt....

Think about it Thiele...?

I have accumulated over 300 hours Annual Leave,

Same with Sick Leave.

When I get sick, I ring the Boss from Hospital.

Can't come in Boss....

I have a Crap Job, that no-one else can do, lol

[Thiele]

I cashed my long service in and paid off Debt....

Think about it Thiele...?

I have accumulated over 300 hours Annual Leave,

Same with Sick Leave.

The problem i might have because I'am on the pension, I'am really scared that they might cut my pension off.

[Dog_ger]

Never be scared my good friend.

Face life FULL ON.....

You work very hard for your living, Thiele...!

Harder than most....!

[Hondo]

...if you get a redundancy you wont have the cushion of LSL payout (which is at a low tax rate) to assist you in the transition to a new job

You still get it so long as the employer is still in business. Annual and LSL are legal entitlements even if you are made redundant. In fact the tax rates are capped at 31.5% if the leave payout is part of a redundancy so it can be better than getting a LSL payout when you resign (then it taxed at normal rates).

Also, paid out notice periods on redundancy are tax free up to a reasonably large cap.

Or do you mean if it employer goes bust? Then it's a different story (still your legal entitlement but employer prob has no $ to pay it out). Leads to another point - getting it paid out as you go (or taking it) can be a safer strategy if you work for a small employer. Lock it into your bank account while they have the $ to pay it out (which is easier for them in smaller doses).

[Dog_ger]

If you resign with annual leave in lou, I believe you don't get the entitled loading....

We are a combined wealth of technicalities.....

[Dutchy]

...if you get a redundancy you wont have the cushion of LSL payout (which is at a low tax rate) to assist you in the transition to a new job

You still get it so long as the employer is still in business. Annual and LSL are legal entitlements even if you are made redundant. In fact the tax rates are capped at 31.5% if the leave payout is part of a redundancy so it can be better than getting a LSL payout when you resign (then it taxed at normal rates).

Also, paid out notice periods on redundancy are tax free up to a reasonably large cap.

Or do you mean if it employer goes bust? Then it's a different story (still your legal entitlement but employer prob has no $ to pay it out). Leads to another point - getting it paid out as you go (or taking it) can be a safer strategy if you work for a small employer. Lock it into your bank account while they have the $ to pay it out (which is easier for them in smaller doses).

You missed my point Hondo, Im saying if people take their LSL now (i.e. take leave) they will get no extra $$ in their redundancy should that occur later in the year....and yes I did say they tax rate is lower, again another advantage of not taking your LSL if you can avoid it

[Hondo]

Ah OK, get you now.

It wasn't like you to get that wrong!

[Psyber]

A comment from some one who has run a small business or three - and never would again:

The point of annual leave is to give people an adequate break from work each year. It is not meant to be hoarded.
It should be used annually or lost, with perhaps a few months flexibility by mutual agreement.
LSL is a pain to administer, and should be scrapped, perhaps in favour of increased annual leave if annual leave loadings are scrapped too.
Such loadings are an unfair impost on small business, as you pay the workers on holiday extra, then pay higher casual rates to employ temporaries to fill in unless you are a big enough employer to have pool of workers who can take up the slack.

Having to carry these liabilities on the books helps stifle small business and inhibit growth - usually the small business owners have to do all the bookwork themselves as the business is not big enough, and earning enough, to pay for administrative staff.

Sick leave is a special provision for real illness. If you aren't genuinely ill it is not yours to "take" [steal] or cash in.

[mypaddock]

Honestly, I think we are lucky in this country to get as much leave as we do, and some more than others (public servants!). Some people getting 6-8 weeks leave per yr and still complaining!! Add onto that all the public holidays we get each yr- around 10??
I think we have no reason to complain if we are forced to take it.

We should consider ourselves very fortunate compared to others around the world.

[Booney]

I too dont agree with annual leave being accumulated in large amounts. My opinion is once you reach 6 week of leave ( approx 18 months of work ) you should have to use the 4 weeks you accumulated the previous year (ie: leaving you with 2 weeks )

A previous,very felixible employer I had ( a small business ) at Christmas gave each worker a $100 bonus for each day of sick leave that employee did not use. At the time as a young trades assistant I earnt nowhere near $100 a day, but the employer saw it as a bonus I did not go on sick leave and they would have then paid me as well as replacement staff. A nice little bonus to encourage staff.

I also have worked in a position where your 17% leave loading for the 4 weeks p/a was calculated and divided amongst the 52 pay weeks of the year. Good for the employer rubbish for the employee,perhaps that system for a smaller business would work Psyber?

[Q.]

The nature of our contracts and funding means that annual leave is calculated into the yearly budget, it does not roll over (budget-wise), meaning if someone accrues their first year's leave into the second year and takes eight weeks at the end of the second year, only the second years annual leave has been budgeted for. Therefore you are 'encouraged' to use your AL every year. As it happens I work in a place where the people live to work, they just take their leave and then come into work anyway.

I reckon I've had one sick day in three years. If I get sick, but there is something that HAS to be done that day, I'll still choose to come in so as to not undermine all the work that has previously gone into 'it'. Not that I get sick much anyway.

[mypaddock]

The nature of our contracts and funding means that annual leave is calculated into the yearly budget, it does not roll over (budget-wise), meaning if someone accrues their first year's leave into the second year and takes eight weeks at the end of the second year, only the second years annual leave has been budgeted for. Therefore you are 'encouraged' to use your AL every year. As it happens I work in a place where the people live to work, they just take their leave and then come into work anyway.

I reckon I've had one sick day in three years. If I get sick, but there is something that HAS to be done that day, I'll still choose to come in so as to not undermine all the work that has previously gone into 'it'. Not that I get sick much anyway.

Does that include posting on here??