Frequently Asked Questions
General
As a small business, unless you are planning to open multiple locations, you’ll likely never grow to the size where you need a dedicated HR person. You are more likely to want the support of an external consultant, and if you work with me you get the added benefit of specialist industry knowledge.
You can do a lot of research yourself to understand legislation, awards and pay rates– however unless you enjoy research and interpretation it’ll probably take you 5 times the amount of time to figure it out.
You’re paying for specialist knowledge and quick turnaround time – that means more time for you to treat clients, go out sourcing staff or just relax – I know you deserve that!
I am highly knowledgeable and experienced in HR; combine that with practical experience running a massage clinic and I bring in depth practical knowledge of the industry to the advice I provide.
I offer legally crafted employment contracts and by focussing exclusively on professions in the allied health domain I can offer competitive pricing by not having to spend (and bill) hours of time to craft custom contracts to suit your situation like a lawyer would do.
I may have support staff helping in the background, but I am the Principal HR Consultant and you’ll be working with me directly!
I will generally respond to email enquiries within one to two business days and employment contracts will be returned to you on or before the date you require them, given you have provided at least 2 days notice.
If you ever require urgent support, such as you need immediate advice on an employee performance issue or potential termination, you can phone me directly on 0459 511 677 – if I’m unable to answer I’ll call you back as soon as practical.
Contract Questions
Technically you do not require an employment contract to be written in Australia, a verbal agreement also constitutes a contract, however the Award does include a requirement to advise an employee in writing of their classification. The problem with this though, is it is easy to dispute what was agreed verbally.
A written employment contract will help to ensure that the rights and obligations of each party are clearly understood. Reducing the risk of any misinterpretations or misunderstandings which could potentially put the business at risk.
Practically I also find it is much clearer to have key conditions summarised in a contract, rather than referring the employee to read a 30+ page Award if they have questions. Our contracts include rates of pay for ordinary and overtime hours, meal break and rostering information, expected conduct including dress codes, treatment of confidential information, restrictions on working for competitors or soliciting clients to follow if they leave, probationary and notice periods and for permanent employees information relating to leave entitlements.
Many of my clients come to me when they already have a candidate they are ready to offer the role to. If this is you then congratulations! You’ve jumped the main hurdle and found someone to employ.
Ideally, watch the Masterclass to understand everything you need to know and purchase the First Time Employer Pack which will provide you with all the documents you need and the all important employment contract so you can make a formal offer to your candidate.
If you already have a team and have a good understanding of your obligations as an employer under the Award, then it isn't essential for you to watch the Masterclass.
In the resource library you’ll find pay rate guides and other fact sheets such as casual vs part time employment, template position description, example job ads and advertising options, subcontract vs wages example calculations and other new starter forms you'll need when you hire someone. I've also included a Xero Payroll setup cheat sheet for easy reference.
You’ll also find some basic HR documents such as remuneration review letters, variation of working hours forms and probation and performance review examples.
Congratulations on being ready for another hire!
If you hired a casual therapist first time around, and are hiring the same again - you can use the contract provided to you as a template. We have set these up so that they are easy to use - without the risk of you making edits that means the contract is no longer compliant.
If you would still prefer we draft the contract, no issues. Please send an email to info@hrforhealthleaders.com.au and we'll just invoice you for our time.
If you are looking to hire a different type of employee, and therefore need a different template, please follow this link to request an additional employment contract – I offer a discount for repeat clients, no need to purchase the full pack again.
We keep the contract basis the same for consistency however casual employees have different entitlements to permanent staff, so there are entire sections in their contracts which are different. This includes paid leave entitlements, rostering and ability to change shifts, work hours being variable and not fixed, probationary periods and notice periods.
The structure of their remuneration is also different, with the permanent contract templates including options to either hourly rates or salaries.
We know that sometimes you may want to pay an employee the minimum rates under the Award, or perhaps you want to pay Award rates for weekend work (which are already higher) but higher than the Award hourly rates for weekday shifts, or maybe you want to pay a salary to some employees.
We have set up our contracts to accommodate for different options - whilst still ensuring Award compliance AND being easy for you to use. The wording is important and having "set off" provisions is critical.
Do I need to buy a new contract every year when wages increase?
No you don’t – you just need to issue your employees with a remuneration review letter outlining their new rates of pay. Every year in late June / early July I will email my clients with an updated Pay Rate Guide and template Remuneration Review letter. You simply need to fill in the details and issue to your employee.
Masterclass Questions
Q: Can I just book a 1:1 call instead of watching the Masterclass?
The Masterclass answers almost all questions for almost every client who is looking to hire for the first time, or is still a very new employer, with employees under the Health Services & Support Award.
I have very limited availability for 1:1 calls and try to keep them available for compliance audits, complicated issues such as performance management, or clients with out of the box business models - such as mobile NDIS services, or for employees who aren't covered by the HPSSA.
Q: What if I do still have questions after the Masterclass?
I recommend you book a block of Q&A Time - this saves us finding a time in our diaries that matches up and enables you to send me your questions, and me the answers, via voice messages (which you can keep). Or book in a 30 minute call with me.
Absolutely! If its a quick question or relates to pay rates for a new therapist and you are buying a New Starter Pack, which includes an Employment Contract, I will generally respond free of charge. If it requires more consideration to respond, I'll advise you if there will be a charge for the advice or if you need to book a 1:1 call.
1:1 ADVICE
Q: I need urgent help and can't find an appointment?
If you ever require urgent support, such as you need immediate advice on an employee performance issue or potential termination, you can phone me directly on 0459 511 677 – if I’m unable to answer I’ll call you back as soon as practical. If you don't need to call immediately but can't find a suitable time, please send an email with some times that suit you and we'll see if we will schedule a suitable time.
I have set fees for employment contracts and 1:1 consults based on time. If you require further assistance such as follow up documentation, calculations, assistance to prepare for Fair Work hearings or other projects I will provide an estimate and ongoing updates - please refer to our Terms & Conditions
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