Who's going to get dudded with the Jobkeeper payments

[billy the kid]

A mate of mine has just had his pay cut by his boss. Apparently the boss qualifies to apply for Jobkeeper
for his business...all my mates co workers have had to take a pay cut....
As I understand it...the boss is dudding them all, as all he has to do is keep them on full wages
and he is paid the Jobkeeper allowance by the ATO...he doesn't lose money nor does his employees
In fact he makes money as the Jobkeeper Allowance forms the first $1500 per fortnight of everyones
wages....
I wonder if he will pass anything on to the workers....
I get the impression that the boss is going to reimburse the workers for their pay cut out of Jobkeeper
and keep the balance himself....
The paycuts amount to a couple of hundred per week for each worker...….

[Black Orchid]

If the boss has to keep them on full wages to get the Jobkeeper payment how can he expect to get it if he docks them a couple of hundred per week?

[billy the kid]

Ive been googling this for a while, but cant find anything that applies to workers who take a pay cut. I feel that if a business suffers a drop in profit and qualifies, then the worker should get the pay cut reimbursed out of the $1500 Jobkeeper and the balance goes
to the boss as he has suffered a loss of profit. He cant just cut salaries and keep the entire $1500 per fortnight for each worker and
at the same time cut their wages...

[Black Orchid]

One would think that checks will be made to make sure it's applied correctly.

[billy the kid]

One can only hope....Ill do some more googling tomorrow for something to do....
Thanx as always for your input....

[billy the kid]

It seems the more people I speak to, the more people are getting exploited by bosses.
In one workplace, a woman is having to work extra hours, whereas another person in the same business
is working less hours...
The business qualifies for Jobkeeper ....one worker was only getting $1200 per fortnight...
because she gets $1500 per fortnight under Jobseeker, she now has to work another day per week...
To compensate for this, another person has had to take a pay cut....
If a business qualifies for Jobkeeper for all the staff, why then is everyone having to take pay cuts....
The wages bill for the business reduces extensively due to Jobkeeper, yet people are still having
to take pay cuts....
All seems like a rip off to me......

[Black Orchid]

Must be better than no job at all?

[billy the kid]

Well after a lengthy conversation with the ATO today regarding this issue, I have been advised that
there is nothing in the Jobkeeper legislation which prevents an employer from reducing an employees wages
where the employee continues to perform the same duties and works the same hours.
It even appears as though employers can reduce days worked, or hours worked and simply pay
their employee whatever wage they decide...workplace agreements would obviously have to
be signed and if the employee was naïve enough to refuse, then he will be shown the door.....
The only recourse I was advised for the employee, if he felt hard done by, was to go to the Fair Work Commission,
seek legal advice and take proceedings against his employer....
That's obviously going to be great for employee/employer relations in the future...
The exploitation of the worker has begun...or is it just being expedited....
The media whores are suggesting a 10% unemployment rate soon....try 15%....
Good luck everyone if you're in this position....

[Nom De Plume]

Must be better than no job at all?

Really! Better to be exploited by your boss, than to be unemployed? Please explain?

[Black Orchid]

Must be better than no job at all?

Really! Better to be exploited by your boss, than to be unemployed? Please explain?

I didn't say it was better to be exploited by your boss but if you are still in a job and earning more than unemployment you are likely in a better position to round up others in the company being cheated and to take it to Fair Work or whoever else will police it.

Once you're on the unemployment line that's it for some time to come.