Members told us that Able have again sent out paperwork asking you to agree to extend your ordinary hours per day or shift from 8 to 10. They’ve also circulated another form regarding extending the span of hours for a broken shift from 12 hours up to 16. Here's what these changes could mean for you:
Maximum ordinary hours
If you agree to extend your ordinary hours to 10, you'll only be paid penalty rates if you go beyond that. In your current agreement, if your ordinary hours are 8 per day or shift, and you are asked to work an extra shift, or until another worker is available to fill the shift, you get time-and-a-half for the first two hours, and double time after that.
We’re also concerned that if Able pushes through these changes, they’ll try to alter the whole house roster and cause issues for your coworkers. So although the decision is yours, our advice is don’t give them the green light by signing this agreement.
Span of hours for a broken shift
A broken shift is when you work in two periods with a break longer than an hour in between. Right now, if you work beyond the 12-hour span (unless otherwise agreed by you), you’re paid double time. Able’s form suggests that they want you to accept ordinary pay for up to 16 hours for a broken shift (plus any applicable shift, weekend, or public holiday penalties). This could have the same impact as agreeing to extend your ordinary hours, which is striping away your penalties.
After reviewing these forms, we’ve noticed Able couldn’t even bother to reference the correct clauses in your new agreement. They’ve sloppily referenced the 2021 Agreement and outdated clauses.
You don’t have to sign any of those forms. If you still have questions or need advice, you can contact us via HACSUassist on 1300 880 032 or at [email protected]