National Day of Mourning – Thursday September 22^nd – What Business Need to Know
We respectfully acknowledge the passing of Queen Elizabeth the Second and thank her for 70 years of  dedicated service to the Commonwealth.

We have received many enquires from our members in regard to trading hours and Public Holiday condition that will apply next Thursday.

In regard to Trading Hours, as all regional trading hours are different and set locally, please contact your Local Government Authority to find out what the trading Hours for next Thursday will be. If your LGA want to alter the local trading hours, they need to write to the Minister for Commerce and receive permission/approval. Many may have already done that and are communicating their trading hours via our members. The Deputy Premier announced on Tuesday afternoon what the trading hours will be for the metropolitan area:

https://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/McGowan/2022/09/Retail-trading-hours-for-National-Day-of-Mourning.aspx

In regard to penalty rates and employee conditions, it is treated the same as any other Public Holiday. See info below on the SBDC site:

https://www.smallbusiness.wa.gov.au/blog/open-business-public-holiday

Below also is some information for Processworx, a WA small business that works with many of our members and many regional small businesses. Thanks, Processworx for sending this through.

What does this mean for your business?
All employees are entitled to be absent from work on a day that is a Public Holiday. As an Employer, you can only direct employees to attend work on a Public Holiday on reasonable business grounds.

What do I need to pay my employees on the Public Holiday?
If your business does not normally trade on the day being observed as Public Holiday, then your employees are not entitled to any payment.

If your business is usually open and the employee was originally rostered to work on the day being observed as Public Holiday but the business is closed, for all or part of the day, because of the Public Holiday then they are entitled to be paid their ordinary hours of work for that day.

If you intend to keep your business open on the day being observed as Public Holiday, you can make a reasonable request for your employees to work. For those that work, they may be entitled to penalty rates in accordance with their Award. Employees can refuse to work on a Public Holiday if it is reasonable for them to do so. We recommend that you give employees as much notice as possible of your request that they work on the Public Holiday and contact us for assistance should you require any. Where an employee has reasonably refused to work on the Public Holiday they would be entitled to their ordinary hours for that day.

What if employees have leave booked or are unwell on the Public Holiday?
Where an employee has already booked annual leave for the 22^nd of September 2022 this would be converted to a Public Holiday payment and no deduction would be made from their annual leave for that day.

Where an employee would usually work on the 22^nd of September and you are not shutting your business to observe the Public Holiday, if the employee were to be sick on this day, they would still be entitled to payment for the Public Holiday, without deduction from the personal leave.

Your Leave Policy will apply.

What if an employee is unwell on the day before or the day after the Public Holiday?
Where you have the ProcessWorx standard Leave Policy, you will have the below clause:

For any period of personal/carer’s leave, including but not limited to a working day, or part thereof, prior to or following a weekend or public holiday, the Company may require an employee to provide a medical certificate for each occasion of personal leave taken, or such other requirements to satisfy the manager that the leave being taken is genuine.

As such you can request an employee provide a medical certificate covering their absence.

Where you do not have the ProcessWorx standard Leave Policy we recommend that you look into your Policy to see when you can request a medical certificate.

What if the 22^nd of September 2022 would be the day I process pays?
Where it is not possible for the employees to be paid early, ProcessWorx recommends that you notify employees that their pay may be delayed by the Public Holiday. Pays should be processed as soon as reasonably possible and as close to the normal pay cycle as possible.

More information
If you would like to discuss this, or any other HR issue, please call (08) 9316 9896, or email enquiries@processworx.com.au.

RCCIWA Monthly Online Member Meeting
On the second Tuesday of each month at 10am we hold an online members’ meeting which usually runs for an hour to 90 minutes. We usually see about 15 members represented on the video call each month to give member updates, discuss common issues & possible solutions to these, as well as the opportunity to share and learn from each other. We also hear from experts from the SBDC and CCIWA, as well as others as requested to receive valuable and relevant updates. The monthly meetings are a great way of connecting with our members with each other, as well as working through common issues or activities. Calendar Invites for the year have been sent to our members earlier in the year, so hopefully they are in your calendar. The agenda and a reminder will be sent out a few days before the meeting each month. Our next one is scheduled for Tuesday October 11^th at 10am and we would love you to join us if you are available.

RCCIWA Administrative Items

• We are constantly updating our membership contact list. If you have any changes to your contacts or would like to add any people, please email Emmi at admin@regionalchamberswa.com.au We know that it is AGM time for some, so please send through your newly elected committee when ready.
• Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and share our page with your members, and in particular your elected committee or board members.
• Please also let us know about any activities, initiatives or events you would like us to include in our weekly newsletter. We love showcasing a great idea, program or event that one of our members is delivering. If you have something you would like us to share – please send through the details to Emmi at  admin@regionalchamberswa.com.au
• Our member portal is being well accessed by our members, but we can always add more content – so please send through any operational documents you are happy to share with your fellow members to Emmi   admin@regionalchamberswa.com.au

Invitation to Exhibit – Meet the Buyer – October 25^th 2022 – Crown Perth
RCCIWA members are encouraged to book a table to collectively showcase a range of brands and business from within their region; and are invited to share this opportunity among respective networks. Promotional flyer can be found here. Meet the Buyer returns this October to showcase WA Food and Beverage business in one central location.

Last year’s exhibition highlights included 72 exhibitor booths, with 171 exhibitors attending those booths, 450+ local branded products on display and a final delegate attendee count of more than 350. Click here to view a quick snapshot video.

Over the past two weeks, Buy West Eat Best members have quickly secured exhibition spaces. They are delighted to now offer the opportunity to exhibit to broader F&B producers state-wide. Places are limited.

Overview of the exhibition:

• Meet the Buyer once again will be the biggest and most diverse showcase of WA F&B business in one central location, providing a platform to exhibit, share and highlight their business and brand offering alongside fellow local producers. A min of 70 exhibitors will take part.
• Over 180 delegates are expected from across the supply chain and will include on and off premise buyers and importers, chefs, and sommeliers through to media and educators. The trade show will showcase quality products and ingredients that have been grown, farmed, fished, processed, and prepared right here in WA; and though presented by the BWEB program, it is not exclusive to the BWEB membership base. While the exhibition will continue focus upon domestic delegates this year, this will grow to include export in future years.
• Meet the Buyer will showcase the strength and resilience of the WA F&B sector, facilitating businesses to realise, establish and grow new markets, benefiting the WA economy.
• The Meet the Buyer program will detail exhibitor’s business profile, product details and RRP and contact information, and will be released 24 hours prior to preregistered delegates.
• Excellent feedback continues to be received from the inaugural event from buyers and delegates across the spectrum in scale and sector, with wide ranging outcomes reported; from the obvious deals into major and niche retailers, to businesses connecting to complimentary businesses (consolidation outcomes), reframing their capital expenditure plans, rethinking their packaging, to hospitality students securing practical work placements.

Exhibitor Application Form & pricing:

• Non-Buy West Eat Best Member Exhibitor

$249 per exhibition + BF

Includes 3m x 3m space with fascia board, clothed trestle table, power and 2 x tickets per exhibitor to attend. Tea, coffee and light refreshments included, and access to Sundowner. A total of up to 8 goods showcased per table.

• Regional Development Commissions, Regional Chambers, Food Industry Associations, or similar, collective businesses to exhibit

$499 per exhibition + BF

Includes 6m x 3m space with fascia board, clothed trestle table, power and 2 x tickets per exhibitor to attend. Tea, coffee and light refreshments included, and access to Sundowner. A total of up to 12 goods showcased per table.

 

• Additional Exhibitor Staff for Trade Exhibition access and/or Sundowner

$49 per person + BF

Access to Trade Exhibition with tea, coffee and light refreshments included, and access to Sundowner.

To find out more information and for all of the details read here.