1. What is happening?
The Victorian Government has introduced the cohorting of aged care employees to minimise the employees spread of COVID-19 into aged care facilities by employees working across multiple sites and providers.
The strategy aims to have aged care employees based at one aged care facility only during the high risk pandemic period.
2. Who does this apply to?
All permanent and casual residential aged care workers who:
- Work in metropolitan Melbourne or the Mitchell Shire for multiple approved residential aged care providers; or
- Live in metropolitan Melbourne or the Mitchell Shire and work for multiple residential aged care employers that may or may not be located in a declared COVID-19 hotspot.
3. Do the single employer conditions apply to employees within the Monash Health Private Aged Care Rapid Response Teams?
Monash Health employees chosen to work within the Private Aged Care Rapid Response Teams are exempt from the single employer conditions. This is because they will be establishing and operating under strict Monash Health protocols at the facility they are supporting.
4. What does this mean for me?
Affected employees are required to work at a single aged care facility (one of the sites you currently work at) to be your primary workplace. Your elected primary workplace is the single site at which you will work all your shifts, including those previously worked at other sites.
As a Monash Health employee you will be supported throughout this process. It is intended that workers will not be disadvantaged by this strategy.
If you work across multiple residential aged care providers your Nurse/Facility Manager will have a private discussion with you regarding your current situation. If you have not disclosed this information to your Nurse/Facility Manager please do so as soon as possible.
5. What if I work most of my hours at Monash Health?
If your contracted hours are higher at Monash Health – you will be requested to take leave from your other employer.
Monash Health will ensure that you receive the same number of shifts/hours that you would have been rostered to work at your other employer. Monash Health will ask for evidence of the hours worked with your other employer.
If Monash Health does not have sufficient hours for you to work the additional hours, then you will still be paid for those hours.
The strategy requires that your employment contract with your other employer should not be impacted by this period of leave.
Your other employer will be required to grant you leave without pay for the duration of the period you are working solely at Monash Health, preserve your annual and personal leave, keep your job open for you to return to and ensure that the period of unpaid leave is treated as service for the purpose of long service leave.
Monash Health is able to request evidence of your decision.
6. What if I work more hours with another employer?
If your contracted hours are higher at your other employer, Monash Health would still like to offer you the same opportunity to continue to work for Monash Health with the option of additional shifts/hours as outlined in scenario one.
However, if you intend to work your contracted hours at your other employer, Monash Health will grant you Annual Leave, Long Service Leave, or Leave without Pay.
The strategy requires that your employment contract with Monash Health will not be impacted by this period of leave.
Monash Health is able to request evidence of your decision.
7. What happens if I currently work across multiple residential aged care homes within Monash Health?
Please have a discussion with your Nurse/Facility Manager as you will only be able to work at one home.
Example: You work at Chestnut Gardens and Eastwood Hostel – You will only be able to work at one home. You may be requested to help support the home that is experiencing a rostering shortfall.
8. What happens if my contracted hours are higher at Monash Health but my other employer is not a residential aged care provider?
You will still be requested to take leave from your other employer to help mitigate the risk to care recipients and other employees.
Monash Health will ensure that you receive the amount of shifts/hours that you would have been rostered to work at your other employer.
If Monash Health does not have sufficient hours for you to work the additional hours, then you will still be paid for those hours.
9. What leave do I need to take from Monash Health if I am working for another employer?
Monash Health will grant an employee Annual Leave or Long Service Leave.
If you do not have a leave entitlement available or wish to preserve your leave, Monash Health will grant Leave without Pay.
This period of Leave without Pay will not break your service entitlements with Monash Health. The period of unpaid leave will count as service for long service leave purposes.
10. How long will this be in place for?
These rostering principles have gradually been introduced from Monday 27 July 2020 and have now been extended until the end of February 2021.
Please note these rostering principles may be extended again if required.
11. Will I be able to return to my position at Monash Health when this is over?
Yes. Monash Health will ensure that your substantive role is kept open for you when this high risk pandemic period is over.
Monash Health is required to grant you leave without pay for the duration of the period you are working solely at another employer, preserve your annual and personal leave, keep your job open for you to return to and ensure that the period of unpaid leave is treated as service for the purpose of long service leave.
12. Who do I contact for further information?
If you have any specific questions please contact and discuss with your Facility Manager.
