Updated
The Victorian Government has launched a month-long advertising campaign to encourage businesses in the cleaning, security and community services sectors to register for the Portable Long Service Scheme.
A major advertising campaign and ‘pop-up’ info sessions will run in all major regional centres over September.
Metropolitan and suburban Melbourne, Geelong, Ballarat, Colac, Warrnambool, Portland Hamilton, Horsham, Moe, Bairnsdale, Sale, Frankston, Broadford, Benalla, Shepparton, Mildura, Swan Hill, Echuca and Wodonga will host sessions.
The session will include information and guidance for NSW and South Australian businesses on how the scheme applies to businesses operating across the border.
The Portable Long Service Scheme commenced on 1 July, allowing cleaners, security staff and community services workers to accrue and take long service entitlements with them from job-to-job within the same industry.
The scheme aims to returns fairness and security to workers in these sectors, who often perform the same work, in the same place, for many years, without being able to accrue long service.
A parliamentary committee found such instances were common across the cleaning, security and community services industries.
Victorian businesses have until 30 September to register for the scheme and from October, will be required to submit quarterly returns detailing days worked and pay received for their employees.
They will then pay a levy to the Portable Long Service Authority which will invest the funds and use them to pay workers when they claim long service.
Any new businesses in these industries has three months from establishment to register.
The authority, headquartered in Bendigo and employing more than 30 people, is responsible for administering the scheme and ensuring compliance.
More than 400 employers have registered with the authority so far, with a radio, newspaper and social media ad campaign to run over September to encourage more registrations.
Minister for Industrial Relations Tim Pallas said the information sessions and the advertising campaign will help provide guidance on the scheme.
“We’re changing the system to give hard-working Victorians in these sectors a fair go – cleaning, security and community service workers shouldn’t lose out on long service benefits when their employers sign new contracts,” Palas said.
Training sessions are also available to employers on how to lodge quarterly returns in September and October.
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