The Fair Work Commission has extended and changed Schedule I in the Restaurant Industry Award. Schedule I was implemented to provide award flexibility during the impact of COVID-19 and has now been updated and extended from 1 July until 27 September 2020.

Schedule I was originally inserted into the Award on 31 March 2020 to provide flexibility in relation to:

• employees’ classifications and duties;
• full-time and part-time employees’ hours of work; and
• taking annual leave.

The amended schedule I operates from 1 July 2020 until 27 September 2020, changes to the schedule include:

• employees in the JobKeeper scheme are now excluded;
• new conditions have been added for giving directions in relation to hours of work;
• there are extra safeguards around directions to take annual leave; and
• provisions around close-down have been removed.

Employers now more than ever, should review awards relevant to their business and keep track of award changes and the expiry dates and/or variations of temporary flexibilities currently available under many awards.

To stay on top of the many changes and current flexibilities available under many awards, Aitken Legal recommend employers review their relevant Award on the Fair Work Commission’s website or seek advice from one of our experienced employment lawyers to assist during these challenging times.