Coronavirus: Update to JobKeeper Payment

18 August 2020

Following its announcement of a JobKeeper 2.0 extension, the Australian Government has formally introduced changes to the subsidy criteria in a bid to make it easier for businesses to qualify.

The changes include:

• employee eligibility for the JobKeeper Payment can now be assessed in reference to 1 July 2020
• employees can now be nominated by alternative employers if their employment has changed since the JobKeeper Payment began. However, they can still only be nominated by one employer at any given time
• for the fortnights commencing on 3 and 17 August 2020, employers have until 31 August 2020 to meet the wage condition for new eligible employees under the 1 July eligibility test.

Further changes, once legislated, will come into play from 28 September 2020. 

The Federal Government has released an infographic, Extension of the JobKeeper Payment for employer convenience.

View: Extension of the JobKeeper Payment infographic

The Australian Taxation Office reports that of 6 August 2020, over $35.16 billion in payments have been issued under JobKeeper, covering more than 960,000 organisations and more than 3.5 million individuals.

Members needing further advice and support on JobKeeper Payments are encouraged to contact the Chamber's IR Department, including a new VACC IR resource, Andrea Chwalko.

VACC Industrial Relations Department
P: 03 9829 1123
E: ir@vacc.com.au

For more information
The Australian Taxation Office: JobKeeper
VACC: JobKeeper 2.0 win for industry
VACC: Dedicated VACC/TACC JobKeeper contact