Workforce compliance

12 days of Christmas compliance chaos: Part 2

12 days of Christmas compliance chaos: Part 2
Amanda Jones
By
Amanda Jones
30
minute read
December 15, 2023
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In part 1 of our 12 days of Christmas compliance chaos blog, we took you through time and attendance systems, lump sum payments, The Closing Loopholes Bill wage theft laws, classification reviews, timesheets and annualised salaries. Read on for more scenarios to look out for this Christmas.

Six self-claim systems

Self-claim systems are often seen as the answer: yes! Let’s reduce the workload of our payroll and labour teams and empower our employees by allowing them to claim for their entitlements when they work additional hours. All is well until you stumble on employees lodging bulk self-claims for 40 hours on one day (!), employees making claims months after they worked, or claiming the ‘ordinary overtime’ code...

For more info on how to avoid the traps, check out our article here

Give yourself and your business the ultimate gift this Christmas - the peace of mind of workforce compliance. Speak with Yellow Canary to discuss how we can help year-round, not just during the holidays.

Five... competing... agreements!

Many organisations will have workforces covered by not just one, but many industrial instruments, with staff sitting across clerical, manufacturing, or retail roles in the one organisation. If that isn’t enough of a headache to keep on top of, add in instrument changes, exceptions, role classifications and duty changes - the list feels endless. It means you can never have a ‘set-and-forget’ approach to your payroll and workforce compliance.

Four different pieces of LSL legislation

“On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me, four different considerations for rules around LSL that are outlined in their respective regulations (Acts).”  Wait a minute, that doesn’t sound right. What happened to the four calling birds?

Long Service Leave (LSL) is a delightful, but complicated, gift to receive. With rules differing across Australian states and territories, industrial instruments, and legislation, accurately calculating the rules and entitlements for LSL means that even the smartest elf would be seeking out a specialised software to ensure ongoing compliance.

Three possible entitlements

Situation: An employee works overtime on a public holiday. Question: Does the employee get public holiday penalty rates, overtime, or a combination of the two?

It can be tough to figure out the precise entitlements an employee should receive for working at times or in unique circumstances. Fortunately, Yellow Canary’s wealth of experience is embedded in the DNA of our software, meaning we can implement the best approach for your business and employees - no matter the circumstance.

Two public holidays

With the end of year fast approaching, we all look forward to the public holidays. I mean, why wouldn’t you? They are great! However, public holidays can throw a spanner in the payroll works.

  • Dasher has decided they want to cash in on the chance to have an extended long weekend, so applies for annual leave the day after the public holiday (as does Comet);
  • Prancer’s roster had them down to work the public holiday, so they will now be due additional entitlements.

These are only a few of the impacts that come with public holidays, but you get the idea. Before Rudolph can enjoy his public holiday, he now needs to quickly complete a plethora of manual updates, leaving more room for error.

A Canary in a pear tree

We've saved the best 'til last in this over-sung Christmas tune. Alongside some people and process changes, Yellow Canary's Always On Compliance product is the one piece of technology that can enable ongoing compliance.

Our Always On Compliance (AOC) platform automates monthly reviews, comparing what was paid, to what should have been paid, according to the employee’s modern award, enterprise agreements or industrial instrument.

The AOC platform generates variance and driver reports which enable our clients to rapidly address any issues, avoid protracted remediation projects, and demonstrate to stakeholders and regulators that payroll compliance issues are being addressed.

This festive season is the perfect time to reflect on your compliance processes and get ready for the year ahead. Get in touch with the team today and book a demo in for the new year!

* Yellow Canary content on this website is intended solely for the purpose of offering commentary and general knowledge. The content is not intended to constitute legal advice. You should seek legal or other professional advice before acting or relying on any of the content.

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