Telephone/Email/Live Chat Advice – ‘Fair Play’ Policy

ES Subscribers can access advice from the ES Consultants between 9.00 am – 5.00 pm, Monday to Thursday and 9.00 am – 3.30 pm, Fridays (AEST). Advice is accessible by phone, email and through the live chat function on this site.  Enquiries should be directed to ES via the nominated contact person for each subscription.

Live chat is most suitable for Award queries.  Issues requiring strategic advice are best discussed with us by phone.

Subscribers can receive up to 15 minutes of advice per enquiry on matters such as:

Award queries

Award interpretation matters pursuant to your nominated modern awards, examples being:

  • Confirming correct classifications and rates of pay
  • Clarifying paid and unpaid leave entitlements and public holiday entitlements
  • Confirming which penalty rates apply to which hours of work and how those rates are calculated
  • Clarifying the application and amount of relevant allowances
  • Understanding ordinary hours of work and meal break obligations
  • Clarifying when overtime applies and what penalty rate is payable

Strategic advice

Issues requiring strategic/specialised assistance, including:

  • Performance management processes and disciplinary action (i.e. addressing underperformance and the issuing of warnings)
  • Dismissal obligations and appropriate processes leading to termination
  • Redundancy processes and obligations when changing the working hours of employees
  • Managing staff complaints or grievances including investigating and responding to claims of harassment etc.
  • Managing staff absenteeism, extended sick leave periods and or WorkCover periods
  • Responding to employee claims via Unions or the FWO regarding concerns about wages and statutory entitlements

Where advice on a particular issue exceeds the parameters provided for above then the Subscriber will be invoiced for consultancy with a minimum charge of 15 minutes.

Notes:

Multiple enquiries pertaining to the same issue will be regarded as a single period of advice and charged accordingly.

Responses to emailed queries will be delayed during peak periods; immediate advice is available by phone and live chat (where appropriate) during our operating hours.

Where more than 15 minutes would be required to compile a written response to an emailed query, preliminary advice will be provided by email with more detailed assistance available by phone.