Staff and volunteers

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Free online AUSTSWIM professional development

AUSTSWIM has provided a range of support mechanisms to assist swim centres, teachers and candidates through this time.
 
AUSTSWIM Learning Pillars (two hours online)

The Learning Pillars are a vital component of the AUSTSWIM teaching philosophy. It applies equally to all programs and courses we deliver from teaching swimming and water safety to aqua instruction. Access the e-learning centre. 

 
AUSTSWIM Tips and Techniques Series 1 (two hours online)

In Tips and Techniques Series 1, you will find a range of content that has value for everyone in aquatic education. Don't skip the last section on wall techniques, as this is an all-round tip for swim teachers, aqua instructors and even those conducting squad work. Access the e-learning centre. 

Life Saving Victoria 

Life Saving Victoria are offering free professional development opportunities to anybody associated with the aquatic and fitness industry four times each week between April and July. The professional development will include a range of presentations, seminars and panel events delivered by industry leaders and external experts from across the country. These sessions will be delivered directly into the homes of industry personnel through a simple Microsoft Teams link. 

• Stream 1 – Aquatic Operations – Every Tuesday 11am – 11.45am
• Stream 2 – Swimming and Water Safety Education – Every Wednesday 11am – 11.45am
• Stream 3 – Management and Leadership – Every Thursday 11am – 11.45am
• Stream 4 – Health and Fitness – Every Friday 11am – 11.45am

View the session calendar. 

How do I update my emergency contact information?

You can update your personal and emergency contact information within payroll’s ADP portal. Instructions are below:

• Log in to ADP portal
• Client ID – SP45865
• User ID – Your YMCA Employee Number, starting with 0 to make it 6 digits
• Password – Your ADP password, which includes at least one special character

How will I ensure my home working environment is safe?

Staff who are approved to work from home should have received information including YMCA’s Working from Home Guidelines and the Work Station Ergonomic Assessment for you to review and complete on your home working area. If you did not receive the email, speak to your Manager. Remote Worker resources can also be found on YNet.

Can I bring my work equipment home?

You will be advised of if and when you can access your normal workplace to collect items or hardware to improve your experience of working from home. Some workplaces may not be accessible and access to some facilities that are closed will subject to Council approval.

If you are authorised to attend a closed workplace to collect work items:

• Practice social distancing from others
• Ensure you have a safe way to transport equipment - bring a trolley if collecting larger items.

What if I do not have a safe or comfortable way to work from home, such as lack of space or caring needs?

Speak to your Manager as soon as possible about your situation. It may be possible to reduce or alter the hours of work to accommodate reasonable requirements. If you cannot safely work from home, then a role Stand Down may be necessary. Further information about Stand Down is contained below.

Can I choose to work from an open YMCA facility or public place rather than working from home?

No, working from home means working from home. Your health and safety is our main priority and we are following guidelines for social distancing when approving staff to work from home.

What is Stand Down?

Under YMCA Victoria Staff Agreement, YMCA Manager Terms and Conditions of Employment, and the Fair Work Act, there are provisions for employees to be stood down in certain circumstances where they cannot usefully be employed. In the case of COVID-19 YMCA Victoria employees may be stood down as the result of a stoppage of work by any cause for which the Employer cannot reasonably be held responsible.

Does stand down mean my employment has been terminated?

No, staff who are stood down are still employed by YMCA Victoria. We intend to reverse stand downs when the organisation is in a position to do so, for instance when facilities reopen. 

What are the relevant Stand Down clauses?

Clause 50 of the YMCA Staff Agreement and Clause 44 of the YMCA Managers Agreement outlines the circumstances in which an employer may stand down an employee.

The provision for Stand Down is also included in the Fair Work Act s.524–525

Are staff paid through the Stand Down period?

Under the Stand Down clauses; section 50 of the YMCA Staff Agreement, section 44 of the YMCA Victoria Manager Terms and Conditions of Employment, and section 524 of the Fair Work Act, an employer is not required to make payments to the employee for the stand down period. On this basis YMCA Victoria regrets to advise that due to these extraordinary events outside of our control, we are unable to pay employees during the stand down period.

Permanent staff can access their accrued Annual Leave (AL) or Long Service Leave (LSL) through a stand down period. If permanent staff don’t have sufficient leave accrued, they will be required to take Leave Without Pay (LWOP) for the duration of the Stand Down.

Casual staff will be de-rostered during the work stoppage period and will be advised that they will not be scheduled for any casual shifts until further notice. Casual Staff who have been employed for 7 years or longer may also be eligible for Long Service Leave. Please refer to the Long Service Leave Section for more details.

Will I be paid for public holidays if I am stood down?

Yes, staff who are on stand down are entitled to payment for public holidays based on the Fair Work Act. Therefore, staff who are on stand down at the time of the Easter public holidays, will be paid for Good Friday (Friday 10 April) and Easter Monday (Monday 13 April). Part time staff will receive payment for public holidays only on the days when they would normally have been required to work and for the number of hours they normally would have worked.

When will staff resume work after the Stand Down period?

Staff on Stand Down will not return to work until advised by their Manager. Managers will advise permanent staff of when they will return to work after the Stand Down period. There may not be shifts immediately available for casual staff in some work areas after the closure.

Is my job secure?

Permanent staff will return to their usual roles after the Stand Down period ends. Casual staff will be rostered as needed. There may not be shifts immediately available for casual staff in some work areas after the closure.

What if I don’t have sufficient Annual Leave or Long Service Leave to cover the duration of the Stand Down period?

If permanent staff don’t have sufficient leave accrued, they will be required to take Leave Without Pay (LWOP) for the duration of the Stand Down. 

Can staff attend YMCA information webinars while on Stand Down?

Absolutely. As a valued member of staff we encourage you to stay informed and connected with the YMCA and your co-workers over the stand down period.

How do I support my team if I am on Stand Down?

The responsibility for supporting your team will be assigned to your manager or another nominated person.  They will also support you while you are on stand down.

What should my email out of office notification say if I’m on Stand Down?

Thank you for your email. 

I am currently not at work and this mailbox will not be attended.  Please direct your query to (insert your manager’s name or the nominated person) at their.name@ymca.org.au

Kind Regards,

Your Name

Your Role Title

Is the Executive Leadership Team taking mandatory annual leave?

All staff who have annual leave accrued above two weeks and are recipients of JobKeeper, have been asked to take annual leave as soon as convenient. The ELT have not been excluded from this organisational request. It’s worth noting that members of the ELT took annual leave when the YMCA first commenced stand-downs, but continued to work full time whilst on annual leave in order to support our people. 

Do I accrue annual and sick leave while I’m stood down? 

Yes, you will continue to accrue entitlements whilst on stand-down.

How do I find out my Annual Leave balance? 

Your Annual Leave balance can be found in ADP. ADP can be accessed via the below instructions: 

Click here for ADP portal 

• Client ID – SP45865
• User ID – Your YMCA Employee Number, starting with 0 to make it 6 digits
• Password – Your ADP password, which includes at least one special character

Your Annual Leave balance can be also be found in Riteq Employee Self Service (ESS) – open on your computer or smart phone and go to the Accruals tab – but there may be a delay in the balance shown as it needs to be manually refreshed after each fortnightly pay run.  The most accurate information will always be from ADP.

Click here for RITEQ User Guides

Do I need to request to use my Annual Leave while on Stand Down or will this happen automatically?

Staff will need to request annual leave (if applicable) – it will not be automatically allocated. Staff can request to be paid from their Annual Leave balance through Riteq. To request Annual Leave, log into Riteq Employee Self Service (ESS) on a computer or smart phone, go to the Absence tab and Add the desired leave before the end of the pay period.

If there is no leave request then staff will not be paid for leave. Payroll will not be able to process late pays for staff who have not applied for leave.

Managers will not need to approve leave requests for staff who are on Stand Down; payroll can do this while their facilities are closed.

Can my Annual Leave be paid in instalments rather than all at once?

You can request for Annual Leave to be paid in instalments by specifying the total number of Annual Leave hours you want to use in each fortnight and requesting the remainder of hours as Leave Without Pay.

For example, if you are normally paid for 20 hours per fortnight and you have 40 hours of Annual Leave accrued, this will cover you for 2 pay fortnights at normal pay.  

You may request to be paid 10* hours of AL and 10 hours of LWOP per fortnightly which would mean that you would receive half-pay for 4 pay fortnights. 

*example only, you can select the number of Annual Leave hours you wish, within your entitlement.

Who is entitled to Long Service Leave? 

Long Service Leave (LSL) is a long-standing entitlement for Australian employees. Most Victorian employees are covered by the Victorian Long Service Leave Act 2018 (LSL Act), but the Acts are different in each State. These state-based differences affect how many years of continuous service must be worked before employees are able to access their LSL

YMCA Victoria’s Executive Leadership Team has determined that ALL staff regardless of where they are located in Australia will have access to their LSL pro rata balance after 7 years of continuous employment. This goes above and beyond the legislative requirements and is so that interstate staff will not be disadvantaged compared to Victorian staff. This is one thing we are doing to provide equal assistance to all staff during this difficult time.

How do I find out my Long Service Leave balance? 

Click here for ADP portal 

• Client ID – SP45865
• User ID – Your YMCA Employee Number, starting with 0 to make it 6 digits
• Password – Your ADP password, which includes at least one special character

How do I find out my Long Service Leave balance if I’m casual? 

Can parental leave be taken through the Stand Down period?

Approved parental leave can be taken through the Stand Down period.

Can I use my Personal/Sick Leave during Stand Down?

Personal/Sick Leave cannot be taken during Stand Down. When you take Personal/Sick Leave from your role, it is because your personal circumstances or sickness is preventing you from performing your role. As you are not performing your role, there is no work to take Personal/Sick Leave from.

Will my LSL and AL entitlements continue to accrue during Stand Down? 

Yes, all employee entitlements during Stand Down will continue to accrue in line with current legislation.

Is the YMCA Hardship Fund available?

Yes, the YMCA’s Hardship Fund will continue to operate through this period. To access the Employee Hardship Fund:

• Review and complete the Application criteria form
• Complete the Application form and attach documentation to support the request, i.e. copies of bills etc.
• Send completed forms to humanresources.vic@ymca.org.au

Please note, we are experiencing a high volume of applications. We want to ensure that those who need it most have access to the fund and therefore ask that you please explore all other avenues, such as contacting Centrelink, prior to submitting your application. 

Applications are evaluated against a number of criteria. The outcome of your application will be communicated with you directly.

How will I know if my role is classified as critical, essential or non-essential?

Your Manager will advise you of the classification of your role, and where your work will be based. Your classification may change through the closure period.

How are critical, essential and non-essential staff determined?

Role classifications will be determined by YMCA Victoria Organisational Leadership Team members.

Critical roles are defined as those deemed as critical to provide operational or business support that must continue regardless of the business and operations being closed.

Essential roles are defined as those deemed as essential at this stage for business continuity purposes, despite the operational closedown of the business and or facilities.

Non-essential roles are all roles not classified as critical or essential. This only relates to the Stand Down in place doesn’t mean that these roles are not highly valued by and important to YMCA.

Will critical and essential roles change through a closure?

Critical and essential roles may change during an office closure, and in particular classifications may be influenced by the duration of a closure. This means some roles classified as essential immediately after the closure may become non-essential over time. New essential roles may also emerge. Organisational Leadership Team members will continually review and determine roles in each category.

Is government support available?

Those whose employment is affected by COVID-19 may be eligible to government support and assistance. Please find out more at the Australian Government services website. 

Can I access Centrelink support?

You may be entitled to a payment if you are an Australian citizen / permanent resident and you’re:

• unable to work
• in isolation or hospitalised
• caring for children.

Refer to Centrelink for more information.

Does having accrued Annual Leave or Long Service Leave affect my ability to access support from Centrelink?

Centrelink has not issued formal advice on this.  We can confirm that if you are receiving Annual Leave (AL) or Long Service Leave (LSL) payments, this will affect your eligibility to receive government payments. However if you have accrued AL or LSL that you are opting not to use during stand down, this may also be considered by Centrelink as income and impact your eligibility to receive government payments. 
  
If intending to apply for Centrelink JobSeeker payments, consider your personal circumstances and whether to apply immediately or wait until your leave entitlements have been exhausted. We will provide more information on the above if Centrelink provides further advice. 

If lodging an application, what information or documents should I have ready?

You’ll need to provide information about your Income and Assets and, if applicable, those of your partner. Income and Assets include:

• cars and other vehicles
• household contents
• savings
• managed investments and shares
• real estate
• income streams (including Superannuation)

If you’re claiming JobSeeker (formerly NewStart) Payment, you’ll need to provide information about your employment:

• if you’re still working but there’s a reduction in your hours, you will need to provide the letter from your employer confirming this. This is your Permanent Staff Stand Down or Casual Staff De-Rostering letter
• if you’ve lost your job altogether, you need to provide an employment separation certificate. 

You should submit your document with your claim and upload using your: 

• Centrelink online account
  
• Express Plus Centrelink mobile app

YMCA recommends staff provide as much detail as possible when lodging the application. For example, include the email from YMCA as well as the letter as evidence that the Stand Down letter was personally sent to you.

Centrelink is waiving the normal one week waiting period in response to coronavirus. This applies to new claims submitted between 12 March and 12 June 2020

Refer to Centrelink for more information. 

Need some support navigating Centrelink?

Centrelink is not known for being easy to navigate at the best of times, let alone when the rules are constantly changing. So here's some tips on how to apply for the Jobseeker Payment (formerly Newstart Allowance) which may help reduce the stress a little. Read the full story.

How can I access my super?

YMCA Media Requests

All staff are reminded of the YMCA PR Policy regarding media contact.

This policy outlines that no staff are allowed to make comments or answer questions to a media outlets on behalf of the organisation without authorisation. All media enquiries and support can be directed to media@ymca.org.au.