b"OTHER LEGISLATION CHANGESAGED CARE WORKRELATED AWARDSWhen: 1st January 2025 In addition to the wage increases, the decision:Key Changes:Changes Award coverage for Assistants in Nursing,removing them from the Nurses Award and movingThe Fair Work Commission (FWC) has made a final them to either the Aged Care or SCHADS Award.decision and determinations regarding the aged care Adds a definition of direct care worker to the Agedwork value case.Care Award to clarify their role in the sector.Provides information on the indicative duties andThis decision impacts the following awards: qualifications for direct care employees.Changes the classification level of some employeesAged Care Award in the sector.Nurses Award Adds two new streams for home care workers to theSocial, Community, Home Care and Disability SCHADS award to cover home care employeesServices Industry Award (SCHADS Award) performing work for clients in aged care, or clients indisability care.The primary change from this decision is the wage Awards contain grandparenting provisions to protectincrease to eligible aged care sector employees wages the additional week of annual leave for employeesbased on their classification and award.who were covered under the Nurses Award.The new wage increases are inclusive of the previousinterim 15% wage increase. Practical Tips for Employers: 1)For businesses who work within the aged care sector, carefully review Award coverage for your business.2) Within the Awards, check that all employees are correctly classified, paying particular attention to those roles andclassifications which have changed as a result of this decision.3)Ensure that pay rates are correct for each employee.4) Communicate any changes transparently with employees who are impacted.OTHER LEGISLATION CHANGESWORKPLACE GENDEREQUALITY AMENDMENTWhen: 26th March 2025 arrangements and support for parents and carers,Key Changes:workplace consultation on gender equality, and effortsThe Workplace Gender Equality Amendment (Setting to prevent and address sexual harassment, to align withGender Equality Targets) Bill 2024 (WGEA) will: the WGEA's six gender equality indicators.Require employers with 500 or more workers to set The Bill requires employers to provide updates on theirnew gender equality targets; progress as part of their annual reporting to the WGEAMake their progress publicly available on the WGEA and their boards, and this information will appear on thewebsite; and WGEA's data explorer.Require compliance to be eligible for Governmentcontracts. Employers found non-compliant may not receive aThe Bill requires private sector and federal public sector certificate of compliance, which is required to be eligibleemployers with 500 or more workers to select 3 gender for securing contracts with the government.equality targets from a list in an associated instrument. Practical Tips for Employers:Within a 3-year period, employers must commit to 1) Companies with over 500 employees, be preparedachieve, or at a minimum, improve on the targets they to report. Visit https://www.wgea.gov.au/ for morechoose. information.The menu of targets that employers can choose from 2) Companies who are close to 500 employees shouldwill focus on the gender make-up of boards in the monitor and trigger their reporting requirements ifworkforce, gender pay gap, flexible workingthey reach the 500 employees mark.Page | 15 IR Update July 2025"