On the 7th August, the government announced changes to the second phase of the JobKeeper payment scheme. Details of these changes can be found here.

On the 14th August 2020 some of these changes were legislated and key dates were announced in relation to new eligible employees.

Do you have more employees on JobKeeper from 3 August 2020?

From 3 August 2020, you may be able to claim JobKeeper payments for the following additional employees:

• Employees not employed at 1 March 2020 but employed at 1 July 2020
• Employees employed at 1 March 2020 but not previously eligible

Full eligibility criteria can be found here.

Key dates

22 August – date to notify new employees

If you are already enrolled for the JobKeeper payment scheme and you have additional employees that become eligible on or after 3 August 2020 using the 1 July test, you must provide a JobKeeper Employee Nomination Notice (1 July employees only) to your new eligible employees by 22 August 2020*.

If you enrol from 14 August 2020, you must inform your relevant employees of your election to participate in JobKeeper within 7 days of enrolment.

Please note this is a new nomination notice, specifically for new employees using the 1 July test. Previous nomination notices cannot be used.

31 August – wage condition for new employees

For the fortnights commencing 3 August 2020 and 17 August 2020, employers have until 31 August 2020 to make top-up wage payments for all new eligible employees under the 1 July eligibility test who currently earn under $1,500 per fortnight.

31 August – enrolments close for August fortnights

To claim JobKeeper payments for the August JobKeeper fortnights, including for new eligible employees included in the Jobkeeper scheme under the 1 July eligibility test, employers must enrol for JobKeeper by 31 August.

If you require more information or assistance with your JobKeeper requirements please don’t hesitate to contact us.

*As the deadline of 22 August falls on Saturday, it is expected that employers will  have until the the next day business day, i.e. Monday 24 August  to lodge their nomination form.