Tips on notifying staff when closing down a practice

Tip #1 – Notifying staff 

When a practice is planning to close, there are certain notification and consultation requirements practice owners need to take before the closure date. The Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 and the Nurses Award 2020 include clauses that outline the consultation process for your staff in which practice owners need to notify staff of major workplace changes and the effect this will have on their employment. 

As part of this process, an employer must:

• give notice of the changes to all employees who may be affected by them and their representatives (if any);
• discuss with the affected employees and their representatives (if any)
  • the introduction of the changes
  • their likely effect on employees
  • measures to avoid or reduce the adverse effects of the changes on employees
• commence discussions as soon as practicable after a definite decision has been made.

Tip #2 – Staff redundancies

Once you have made the decision to close down your practice, it is important to assess whether redundancy is payable. For employers of a small business with under 15 employees, there may be exemptions to this requirement. The Workplace Relations team can guide you through the redundancy process and answer any queries you may have.

Tip #3 – Leave payouts for staff

For your permanent staff you should prepare to pay out any accrued leave entitlements employees may have. This includes annual leave and long service leave. For some staff their long service leave may be pro-rata depending on their years of service.

Tip #4 – New staff 

If your current employees chose to leave before the closure date, you may need to consider hiring new temporary casual staff to cover those absences up until the practices closure date.

If you have any questions or would like to know more about your staffing obligations when you chose to retire or permanently close your practice please reach out to the workplace relations team. 

	Workplace Relations Support  Workplace Relations Support can assist members with question they may have in regards to their staff when closing your practice or retiring. You can contact us via phone (07) 3872 2222 and email support workplacerelations@amaq.com.au.
	Workplace Relations Toolkit  Workplace Relations Toolkit subscribers receive priority WR assistance when they require workplace relations and human resources advice.
	Workplace Relations Consultancy Workplace Relations Consultancy can provide comprehensive advice and documentation to employers closing their practice during the consultation process.