TUESDAY, 7 APRIL 2020

Please note - ESSA will move to twice weekly communiques moving forward.

Updated Fact Sheets on Support for Employees and Employees from the Australian Government

The Australian Government released updated Fact Sheets on Sunday 5 April 2020 for support for businesses to retain jobs and employees to access wage subsidies:

· JobKeeper payment - Information for employers

· JobKeeper payment - Information for employees

· JobKeeper payment - Frequently asked questions

· Delivering support for business investment

· Boosting cash flow for employers

· Payments to support households

· Assistance for severely affected regions and sectors

· Early access to superannuation

· Supporting the flow of credit

· Income support for individuals

· Support for sole traders

Information and services to help if you are affected by COVID-19

If you are not eligible for the JobKeeper payment, then check what other Australian Government support might be available to you here.

Update from the Federal Cabinet re Commercial Tenancies

The National Cabinet agreed today,7 April 2020, that states and territories would implement a mandatory Code of Conduct (the Code), including via legislation or regulation as appropriate, to implement the principles agreed on Friday 3 April.

The Code builds on the draft codes submitted by landlord and tenant representative bodies in the commercial property sector.

The purpose of the Code is to impose a set of good faith leasing principles for application to commercial tenancies (including retail, office and industrial) between owners/operators/other landlords and tenants, in circumstances where the tenant is a small-medium sized business (annual turnover of up to $50 million) and is an eligible business for the purpose of the Commonwealth Government’s JobKeeper programme.

National Cabinet agreed that there would be a proportionality to rent reductions based on the tenant’s decline in turnover to ensure that the burden is shared between landlords and tenants. The Code provides a proportionate and measured burden share between the two parties while still allowing tenants and landlords to agree to tailored, bespoke and appropriate temporary arrangements that take account of their particular circumstances.

National Cabinet again noted that it expects Australian and foreign banks along with other financial institutions operating in Australia, to support landlords and tenants with appropriate flexibility as they work to implement the mandatory Code.

The Commonwealth Government is also acting as a model landlord by waiving rents for all its small and medium enterprises and not-for-profit tenants within its owned and leased property across Australia.

The Rent Relief Policy will include a mutual obligation requirement on the small and medium sized enterprises and not-for-profit tenants to continue to engage their employees through the JobKeeper initiative where eligible, and if applicable, provide rent relief to their subtenants.

The Code will not apply to residential tenancies.

Residential rental agreements will be dealt with separately by individual jurisdictions.

Support from State and Territory Governments

ACT

A business liaison phone line has been created to assist businesses understand the support available to them through the ACT Economic Survival Package and practical advice for businesses operating through changed arrangements due to COVID-19. The number to call is: 6205 0900

NSW

Get guidance for your business with the Business Concierge service to help you if your business has been impacted by the NSW bushfires and/or COVID-19 (coronavirus).

Call on 13 77 88 (Monday to Friday between 7:00am and 7:00pm [Sydney time]) or request a call back here.

The NSW COVID-19 Small Business Support Grant of $10,000 will be available to eligible NSW small business owners. The application form will be available on the Service NSW website by 17 April. More information here.

QLD
Take a look at the Coronavirus (COVID-19) business assistance finder to search for what Queensland Government assistance is available or call the Small Business Hotline on 1300 654 687.

NT
To access up to four hours of free and independent advice to directly help your business, click here. The Chamber of Commerce has produced the NT's COVID-19 employer guide.

SA

Contact the Business Team at the Department for Innovation and Skills on 1800 763 097 to have your business questions answered about the impact of COVID-19 on your business. Other assistance by way of grants, webinars, tips and resources available here.

VIC

Businesses across the state can now access information on dealing with COVID-19 by calling the Business Victoria hotline on 13 22 15.

The Victorian Government has launched the $500 million Business Support Fund to support small businesses in the sectors hit hardest by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic so they can survive and keep people in work. Eligible businesses can apply for a one-off $10,000 grant which can be used towards costs such as utilities, rent and salaries, and activities to support business continuity planning. More information available here.

WA

The Small Business Development Corporation has created a COVID-19 assistance centre to provide dedicated, timely guidance on available support option. To access the service, contact 133 140 (8:30am to 4:30pm weekdays).

Information on relief measures for small businesses including a reduction in electricity bills, licences fees waived, and additional payroll tax relief here.

COVID-19 Clinical Evidence

The National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce brings together the peak health professional bodies across Australia whose members are providing clinical care to people with COVID-19. It is undertaking continuous evidence surveillance to identify and rapidly synthesise emerging research in order to provide national, evidence-based guidelines for the clinical care of people with COVID-19.

The guidelines address questions that are specific to managing COVID-19 and cover the full disease course across mild, moderate, severe and critical illness. These are ‘living’ guidelines, updated with new research in near real-time in order to give reliable, up-to-the minute advice to clinicians providing frontline care in this unprecedented global health crisis. More information available here.

World Health Organization (WHO) - use of personal protective equipment (PPE)
The WHO has published guidelines on the Rational use of personal protective equipment (PPE) for coronavirus disease (COVID-19): interim guidance, 19 March 2020.


This document provides information about when PPE use is most appropriate.

Article: “Surge capacity of Australian intensive care units associated with COVID-19 admissions”

This article describes Australian intensive care unit (ICU) capacity to respond to predicted increased demand associated with pandemic COVID-19. Written by Edward Litton, Tamara Bucci, Shaila Chavan, Yvonne Y Ho, Anthony Holley, Gretta Howard, Sue Huckson, Philomena Kwong, Johnny Millar, Nhi Nguyen, Paul Secombe, Marc Ziegenfuss and David Pilcher, Med J Aust, Published online: 30 March 2020.

COVID-19 Business Development Training

All the following courses are eligible for points in Further Education, Business Development PD 1 pt per learning hour (maximum 10 points).

QUT - Leading Through Turbulent Times

This program is designed to guide you through a process to develop effective ways of working and relating to others during these unprecedented times. This series will consist of five 30-minute pre-recorded webinars followed by 60-minute live conversations via a virtual classroom. This will be supported by additional reading and/or recommended videos and finish with a short ‘check your understanding’ quiz.

The topics covered will include Resilience; Teleworking/Working from home; Working collaboratively; Coaching in a volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA) world; and Leading teams through crisis.

Every Tuesday starting Tuesday, 21 April 2020 10:00am - 11:00am. Cost: $165 (GST included) for one session and $550 (GST included) for all 5 topics. Cheaper for QUT alumni. More details here.

Free Business Courses from NSW TAFE

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, TAFE NSW, in conjunction with the NSW Government, is offering a number of fee-free* short courses that can be completed in just days or weeks, offering practical skills and experiences across a range of industries.

· Develop Administration Skills

· Enhance Your Digital Impact

· Grow Health and Medical Knowledge

· Improve Leadership Performance

· Practical Business Skills

· Working from Home

· Collaborating in and leading dispersed teams

To access this training, click here.

COVID-19 Business Insights

Insights on from McKinsey how organisations can respond, and what happens next McKinsey, a global consulting company, has published a number of articles available here on how you might respond to COVID-19:

“Getting ahead of the next stage of the coronavirus crisis” published April 2020 and features how to launch your plan-ahead team.

“Beyond coronavirus: The path to the next normal” published March 2020 and features insights on how leaders can begin navigating to what’s next

BDO's COVID-19 webinar series BDO Australia, an accountancy, tax and advisory services business has developed a series of free webinars on precautionary measures and formulating action plans to mitigate risks.

Previously recorded webinars are also available.