Neighbourhood house to help macedon casuals access sick pay

Casual workers in Macedon will benefit from a new Victorian Government partnership with Neighbourhood Houses Victoria.

Member for Macedon, Mary-Anne Thomas, today announced that the Woodend Neighbourhood House will provide free assistance to help community members sign up for the Victorian Sick Pay Guarantee.

The Woodend Neighbourhood House is one of up to 100 neighbourhood houses around the state ready to help eligible casual and contract workers sign up for sick and carer’s pay.

Participating neighbourhood houses and community centres can provide access to inlanguage support, computers and the internet, and help workers understand and sign up to the scheme.

Eligible casual and contract workers can sign up for 38 hours a year of sick and carer’s pay with direct support from a participating neighbourhood house. This community-based approach will make the Sick Pay Guarantee more accessible for workersin Macedon who may face technology or language barriers.

More than 55,000 workers have already signed up to the nation-leading initiative. The $245.7 million two-year pilot is fully funded by the Victorian Government until March next year.

Eligible workers include casual and contract retail assistants, hospitality workers, aged and disability care workers, supermarket workers, supermarket supply chain workers, cleaners, laundry workers, security guards, food trades workers and food preparation assistants such as cooks, bakers, fast food workers, and kitchen hands.

Casual and self-employed contract workers who want to check their eligibility and sign up are encouraged to contact the Woodend Neighbourhood House, visit www.nhvic.org.au or sign up at vic.gov.au/sickpayguarantee Eligible workers can apply for sick and carer’s pay from the day they sign up.

Information is available in 19 languages on the Sick Pay Guarantee website. To speak to an interpreter, call the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450 and ask for the Victorian Sick Pay Guarantee hotline.

Quote attributable to Member for Mary-Anne Thomas MP
"We’re making it easier for casual and contract workers to access sick and carer’s pay. I encourage all eligible workers to sign up today, whether it’s online or through our local Woodend Neighbourhood House".

Quote attributable to Neighbourhood Houses Victoria CEO Keir Paterson
"Neighbourhood Houses are the glue that holds together local communities, so we jumped at the chance to use our links to support casual workers, particularly those with language, technology or accessibility challenges".