HACSU has formally initiated a dispute with Tailored Care over a raft of dodgy practices that go against the SCHCDS Award and even break basic laws.
Most significantly, if you’re a disability support worker supporting NDIS-funded participants with high needs, you should be classified and paid under the Social and Community Services (SACS) stream of the SCHCDS Award, not the Home Care stream. The difference in pay is over $6 an hour at ordinary rates – greater when working shifts. Funding is provided on the basis that employees are paid at Level 2 or 3 of the SACS stream. Imagine Tailored Care pocketing NIDS funds and paying workers at lower rates – the wage theft is significant!
And that’s not all we're calling them out on. Tailored Care have also breached the Award by:
• Not posting rosters 2 weeks before the start of a roster period
• Forcing workers on unpaid breaks to stay on premises (or threatening to deduct an hour’s pay if they leave)
• Not agreeing with part-time employees’ workdays and the starting and finishing times
• Not paying for permanent staff if their shifts are cancelled at short notice
• Not providing the SCHCDS Award or NES to employees
• Failing to ensure the necessary 10-hour break between shifts
There’s more – they’re potentially breaking other laws as well by:
• Not storing medications safely
• Installing and using CCTV cameras as listening devices
• Restricting rights of participants regarding when, who and where they may receive visitors
• Having untrained staff administering medications and fluids by PEG
It’s disheartening to see a disability provider so brazenly disregarding rules and going to such extremes to exploit their workers.
We won’t let up until Tailored Care rectify their unlawful conduct and backpay members their hard-earned money.
Let’s stand strong and stay united. If you know any colleagues who are not yet HACSU members, you can encourage them to join to make sure they’re covered by our claims.