The SCHADS Award
Hireup support workers are covered by the 'Home Care' stream of the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services (SCHADS) industry award [MA000100] which is a legal document that outlines the minimum pay rates and conditions of employment.
Classification
Our support workers are at level 2.1 of the Home Care stream which includes employees in the provision of domestic assistance and support. Hireup chooses to pay above the award wage (which can offset some entitlements like the higher duties allowance).
Wage Increases
Each year in July we update our wages and pricing and this time these changes will kick in from 11 July 2022. This year, there are also changes to the SCHADS Award.
There are three key driving factors when it comes to designing and reviewing our pricing:
- The Fair Work Commission annual wage review
- The NDIA annual pricing review
- Building a sustainable, long term service
The Hireup standard rate is currently $55.82 and Hireup support workers currently receive $35.54 (incl. superannuation and 25% casual loading). Support worker wages will increase on July 11, 2022.
The rest covers:
- Worker taxes
- Payroll and invoicing
- Comprehensive insurance cover for every shift booked and paid for on Hireup
- Hireup’s online platform and community support team
Hours of work
Hireup has a safety first approach and we ask that all work performed are in line with safe working practices. Hireup support workers can work the number of hours that work for them. But it’s really important to make sure that our support workers are taking the right breaks during a shift and between shifts.
We will continue to review support workers working high amounts of hours or overtime hours to assess our concerns around suitability, safety and any risk. In situations where we have assessed that there is a risk to health and safety, we will continue to provide direction for the support worker to manage their hours to a more sustainable level and support the client to grow their team so that support and care can be provided on a safe, consistent and ongoing basis.
Penalty Rates and Loadings
Support workers are entitled to additional shift allowances when they perform evening and night shift work Monday to Friday.
Support workers who perform work on a weekend or public holiday will also be paid loadings in addition to their base hourly rate (not including the casual loading).
You can find more information on the rates for evening and night shifts, as well as weekend or public holiday shifts on our website.
Minimum Shift Engagement
From 11 July, 2022, changes to the SCHADS Award mean that support workers are entitled to a minimum payment for working a shift that is shorter than two hours.
Support workers may notice a difference in their payslips for shifts less than two hours from 11 July 2022 but don’t worry - the total amount paid to support workers reflects the usual Hireup rate of pay for time actually worked, as well as a Fair Work top up to ensure we are providing this minimum payment.
Split Shifts
From July 11 2022, you’ll be entitled to certain allowances in accordance with the SCHADS Award if you work multiple shifts per day.
- if you work two shifts per day, an allowance of $18.34;
- if you work three shifts per day, an allowance of $24.27; or
- if you work outside a span of 12 hours since the start of your first shift in one day, you’ll be entitled to double time pay for the hours worked outside of that 12 hour span.
For example, if you work shifts from 8am to 10am, 2pm to 5pm, and 7pm to 9pm in one day, you’ll be entitled the $24.27 allowance, then double time for the one hour from 8pm -9pm (as this is one hour outside the 12 hour span).
You’ll be able to book multiple shifts on our platform and the allowances will be automatically calculated and paid along with your fortnightly wages.
Remote Work
At times a support worker may need to conduct work outside of a shift. This may be on a case by case basis and will need to be assessed individually. This may occur when Hireup directs a support worker to do Hireup related training, or when providing support remotely. Remote shifts (work over the phone or online) may occur due to reasons such as a client or worker testing positive to Covid-19, clients or support workers who have not met minimum vaccination requirements or geographically dispersed people.
Support workers are encouraged to complete all necessary work including administrative work during a shift. If a client needs the support worker to do additional tasks after the end time of their usual booking then they will need to extend the booking to allow for the support worker to complete all their tasks.
Meet and Greets are not considered time worked.
Sleepovers
At times our clients may need overnight sleepover support. You can read more about sleepover entitlements in this article. A support worker is entitled to the following sleeping arrangements:
For each night when the employee sleeps over, employees must be provided with:
- a separate room with a bed and clean linen,
- the use of appropriate facilities (including access to food preparation facilities and staff facilities where these exist), and
- free board and lodging.
Hireup works to educate our clients on these requirements. Where a support worker is not able to be provided the above then we are unable to support the client to receive these shifts and we encourage our support workers to decline these shifts.
24-hour Shifts
Support workers are booked for every hour the support worker is required to be present during a 24 hour shift. A sleepover should be booked for the period where the support worker will be sleeping. Support workers should not be working a significant number of active hours of support as opposed to simply being present to provide support as needed. We understand that this is important for ensuring that our support workers can deliver support in a healthy and safe manner.
Excursions
Where an employee agrees to supervise clients in excursion activities involving overnight stays from home, the following provisions will apply:
- The sleepover allowance is also payable for overnight sleepover support.
- Where an employee involved in overnight excursion activities is required to work on a Saturday and/or Sunday, the days worked in the two week cycle, including that weekend, should not exceed 10 days.
Working safely and taking breaks
Working safely is essential to encourage safe, ongoing and consistent support from our support workers for our clients. It’s important to communicate between the support worker and the client, account manager or family member to discuss an agreed time when it is convenient to take breaks and get rest.
Taking meal breaks/lunch breaks: An unpaid meal break of 30 - 60 minutes (no less) should occur when working in excess of five hours.
Taking rest breaks/tea breaks: A paid 10 minute tea break should occur for every four hours worked.
Having meals: When a support worker has a meal with the person they’re supporting as part of the shift, they will be paid for the duration of the meal at the ordinary rate of pay.
Working safe hours: It’s recommended that our support workers work no more than 10 hours a day (not including sleepovers) and no more than 10 shifts in a fortnight. In some instances where we believe that there is a risk to health and safety we may direct support workers to work less hours as necessary.
Working overtime and breaks: Our support workers should organise their shifts in order to have a break of at least 10 hours after working overtime and not accept shifts until such time as that break is taken.
Rest breaks between rostered work: Hireup encourages support workers to take regular breaks including between the end of a shift and the start of a new one whether that is during the course of one day or over a fortnight. It’s also recommended that support workers (especially those who work lots of hours) take at least 2 consecutive days off each fortnight.
Growing a support system with the right amount of support workers for each client’s situation: In situations where our clients need a higher level of support we will strongly encourage and in some instances direct the client to grow their team. This is to encourage long term, sustainable relationships and to prevent burn out, fatigue and the risk that the client may be left without support if their regular support worker suddenly becomes unavailable.