New “one stop shop” for free employment advice
Issue Date: - Monday, 22 June 2009
A new one stop shop providing free employment advice at the Small Business Development Corporation is attracting a steady stream of inquiries.
The new service is a joint initiative by Department of Commerce Labour Relations Division and the SBDC to ensure small business has easy access in a single location to a wide range of information, including professional advice on labour laws.
Acting Executive Director of Labour Relations, Mr Bob Horstman, said understanding employment laws is essential for small business survival. “It can save a business thousands of dollars by avoiding back payments of wages, long service leave obligations, and penalties for breaching employment laws”.
“The new service is popular and is helping new and existing small business owners understand the complexity of employment laws. Many inquiries come from small business operators who are starting up or those wanting to employ staff for the first time.”
Mr Horstman said in one recent case the service assisted a prospective purchaser of an existing business. “The prospective owner was not familiar with awards and minimum conditions and had intended taking on the business as a going concern, with existing staff. If she had bought the business on this basis, she would have been liable for annual and long service leave entitlements for existing employees from the commencement date of their employment, not from the time she took ownership. The commercial viability of her business needed to take account of these real employment costs”.
Mr Horstman said “It is essential small businesses owners are aware of the total staff costs because these have a big impact on their bottom line, and is often a significant factor impacting on business success or failure”.
“Most small business operators don’t have the luxury of in house human resource expertise, but through this new service they now have access to free and professional advice that will help improve their knowledge of and compliance with employment laws.” Mr Horstman said.
“I urge all small business operators considering purchasing a business, just starting up, or just about to employ staff to contact the advisory service to ensure they know about employment laws.”
The service is open on Wednesday and Thursday between 10 am and 3 pm.
If you would like to make an appointment you can email mark.jenkin@commerce.wa.gov.au, visit the SBDC office on the ground floor at 553 Hay Street, Perth, or ring 131 BIZ (131 249).