Pay as You Grow - The Alternative Resourcing Option to Unburden your Growing Business

An alarming report in the SMH yesterday reports on the shock in store for small to medium sized business next year. Apparently, fewer than half of Australia's small businesses are adequately prepared to deal with a further round of family friendly workplace laws that will take effect next month.

Virtual Angels has an alternative resourcing option for your small business with their unique offering of "Pay as You Grow" resources. Our Angels are self-employed therefore you will not be subject to these additional burdens on your business.

A survey of 352 small and medium businesses found many were ill-prepared to deal with the third industrial relations regime in four years when the final stage of the Fair Work Act comes into effect on January 1.

The new laws include a ''modern awards'' system and 10 new national employment standards replacing the minimum employment conditions that were part of the Howard government's Work Choices legislation.

Businesses face compliance obligations and risk fines, says one of the report's authors, David Griffiths, of the consultancy CompliSpace.

''What is clear from this study is that a great number of companies remain unaware and unprepared for the substantial changes,'' the report says.

''Employers who ignore 'modern awards' may be in for a rude shock given that the flexibility clause contained in each award could mean their current common-law agreements no longer insulate them from obligations to pay overtime, penalty rates and leave loadings.''

Among the new national employment standards are:

> the extension from 12 to 24 months of unpaid parental leave that employees can request;

> the introduction of an entitlement to redundancy pay for all workers, not just those covered by awards;

> entitlement for carers of preschool children and children under the age of 18 with a disability to request flexible working arrangements.

Other changes provide for the extension of the definition of de facto partners to include same-sex couples and the removal of the restriction allowing an employee to take a maximum of 10 days carer's leave in any 12-month period.

Fewer than half of the businesses surveyed know of, understand or are prepared for the industrial relations changes and less than half understand the compulsory flexibility clause in each award. More than half of the companies surveyed were considered at an extreme or high risk of falling foul of the laws, given their lack of preparation.

The survey identified call-centre employees among those to be covered for the first time by the new awards system.

Administrative staff across all industries could fall under a new clerks/private sector award.

Part-time workers in some industries would also be entitled to shift loading.

The survey covered businesses that employ more than 100,000 staff across 25 industries and was conducted from August to earlier this month.

Contact us today to Find Out How you can unburden your business.

Grow Your Business - with the right people

If you run your own business from home what happens when you have more work than you can handle, or move to commercial premises and need to grow your business with a limited budget?

There are lots of issues that you nee to consider before making a decision as to how to resource your growing business.

What duties do you need your person to perform and do you have enough work to keep them busy full-time? Or is part-time the answer? Do you have office space, a desk, PC and printer for this person in your current set up, or does a virtual assistant fit the bill? What skills, experience and values do you need and look for? How much can you afford to pay them?

Small business owners sometimes find it difficult to decide whether an employee should be permanent or casual and the deciding factors include how much regular work there is and whether employment will be ongoing.

Virtual Angels offers solutions to all of the above confusion by offering virtual, part-time, permanent or casual employees - basically whatever fits your current situation. It's a try before you buy situation - if work increases, then your Angel can grow with your business, if work decreases or is sporadic, your Angel will be flexible and work as and when you need them. Some of the key benefits though is you pay as you go, you test the waters and you don't over commit. Your Angel is an employee who works with you in an ongoing basis so you don;t have to keep re-training - it's simple and flexible.

Going straight to permanent employees and getting this wrong can be a costly exercise not just financially but in terms of time and stress. You must know your legal obligations with regard to worker's compensation insurance, superannuation, taxation, record keeping requirments, holiday and other leave entitlements and OH&S. Hiring a Virtual Angel removes all of this cost, time, stress and risk - our Angels are self-employed and take care of their own insurances. You receive one invoice a week from Virtual Angels - it's simple and risk free.

Your employees can make or break your business so choose wisely. Contact us today for a free assessment on how an Angel can grow your business today.