Whether you are ready or not it’s only a couple of months until the Christmas and New Year period is upon us once again!
If you are intending to close your agency doors – even for as little as a few days – and require employees to take annual leave, then it’s time to start planning.
If you have employees engaged under either the Clerks – Private Sector Award 2020 or the Real Estate Industry Award 2020, you will need to provide them with a minimum of 28 days written notice that they will be required to take annual leave over the period of the agency temporary shutdown (excluding any public holidays).
To assist our REEF members in notifying employees of your Christmas/New Year shutdown, you can download a copy of our Leave – Annual Leave Close Down Memo to Staff from REEF’s People Management System.
But what if you have employees who do not have enough annual leave to cover the temporary shutdown period?
As an employer, you can’t force an employee to take leave without pay if they don’t have sufficient annual leave for the days your agency is closed. However, under both Awards, and by mutual agreement in writing, you can grant the employee annual leave in advance, or the employee can agree to take leave without pay.
To confirm this arrangement an Agreement to take Annual Leave in Advance form must be completed and signed by both the employer and the employee.
Again, you can download this template Agreement to take Annual Leave in Advance from REEF’s People Management System.
If you need guidance with your temporary Christmas shutdown, please contact the REEF helpline on 1300 616 170
