The Occupational Health and Safety and other Legislation Amendment Act of 2021 became law as of Wednesday 22 September. Here’s what you need to know.

October is finally here, and we are three weeks or less from hitting the 70 per cent target to start the reopening. It’s within sight now, and we can finally start to think about waving goodbye to lockdowns forever. The Victorian Chamber is continuing our push for the State Government to revise openings at both the 70 and 80 per cent targets.

Businesses and workers have sacrificed, suffered and done their bit to protect us all from COVID-19. They stayed closed, in some cases without work, pivoted their services to keep Victorians employed and many lost what they had spent years building. Businesses across the State are in crisis.

Casual employment can provide much needed flexibility for businesses, enabling them to quickly expand their workforce to meet demand. However, any business relying on casual labour shouldn’t look at it as a quick fix. Getting it right takes planning, paperwork and proactive management.

The Fair Work Commission has determined an employer who cut a rail worker’s pay by almost $14,000 constituted a dismissal, giving the employee the green light to pursue an unfair dismissal claim.

The Victorian Chamber welcomes the announcement of a fifth allotment of joint Federal and State Government funding to see business and workers through until vaccination rates hit the targets we need to open up under the Roadmap to Deliver the National Plan.

The State and Federal Governments have announced a further $2.27 billion in grants and financial support to assist Victorian businesses and workers struggling through the final weeks of lockdown.

I had a close friend message me from London on the weekend, as he sat comfortably in a coffee shop on Regent Street.

More than 1300 businesses across all sectors, sizes and regions provided feedback to the Victorian Chamber on the State Government’s Roadmap to Deliver the National Plan and viewpoints on vaccination conditions. Here are the results.

Given the numerous lockdowns, restrictions and uncertainty faced by employees as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many employers are finding themselves carrying the financial burden of increasing leave accrual - or, in a position where they are struggling to cover gaps due to long-term absences. Understanding leave entitlements and what an employer can and cannot do in this space is vital. The Victorian Chamber encourages businesses to act now to ensure responsibilities and obligations are understood.

Sunday was not the news we wanted. The roadmap fell short: short of hope, short of NSW and short of where we need to be moving to as a state.

No matter your business, solar power helps. Hear how three businesses from different sectors benefitted from making the change.

Are you a small or medium-sized business struggling to pay the rent due to the COVID-19 pandemic? There’s still time to qualify for the retrospective part of the latest round of the State Government’s Commercial Tenancy Relief Scheme.

Working from home doesn’t mean workplace conflict is a thing of the past. In fact, statistics show it is on the rise. Managing conflict quickly and making the most of virtual tools will help reduce ongoing disputes and legal risks.

The Fair Work Commission has found a childcare centre unfairly dismissed an employee when it casually sent the staff member a “notice of non-renewal” via email with no prior warning.

The Victorian Chamber welcomes the compliance blitz that will take place in Victoria’s construction industry from today to improve COVIDSafe compliance. We also welcome the push to drive-up vaccination rates across that workforce.