On the 7 August, 2020 the Australian Government announced further adjustments to JobKeeper 2.0 primarily in the wake of the tougher COVID-19 restrictions imposed in Victoria.
The changes to JobKeeper 2.0 include:
- Making adjustments to Employee Eligibility: Resetting the relevant date of employment (which is important in determining an employee’s eligibility for JobKeeper) from 1 March 2020 to 1 July 2020 for JobKeeper fortnights beginning on or after 3 August 2020. This means that where a business meets the eligibility test, those employees hired after 1 March and before 1 July 2020 may now be eligible for JobKeeper payments.
2. Making adjustments to the Decline in Turnover Test:
a) To be eligible for the JobKeeper period from 28 September 2020 to 3 January 2021, businesses must now measure a decline in turnover using actual GST turnover in the September 2020 quarter relative to the September 2019 quarter.
b) To be eligible for the JobKeeper period from 4 January 2021 to 28 March 2021, businesses must now measure a decline in turnover using actual GST turnover in the December quarter 2020, relative to the December 2019 quarter.
These adjustments to JobKeeper 2.0 will be welcomed by businesses, particularly those based in Victoria, as they have the effect of making the eligibility requirements for JobKeeper more flexible.
CAANZ has developed a useful infograph for its members that provides a quick outline of JobKeeper 2.0 inclusive of recent updates.
For further information about JobKeeper 2.0 or any of the other Covid-19 related economic measures – please call/email your DRB Group contact at enquiries@drbgroup.com.au