Aug 19, 2020

Worker pressure mounts as SA government bans working at two facilities

Aged care workers in South Australia are not allowed to work at two facilities within 14 days of each other, in pursuit of reducing the potential spread of the coronavirus. United Workers Union aged care director Carolyn Smith says this will significantly hurt the industry.

“We are seeing members who face huge financial and emotional penalties from this decision,” Smith says.

“If a household is losing $1000 a week, you know that means money for essentials will be hit hard. This hasty decision is even threatening some workers’ ability to stay in Australia,” she says.

“Aged care workers have been turning up every day to protect Australia’s most vulnerable during this crisis. Instead of rewarding aged care workers, you are punishing workers by cutting their jobs with no plan to address shortfalls.”

“You need to support Australia’s aged care workers so they can continue to work on the frontline.”

Justine is an aged care worker directly impacted by the ban.

“Of course we support preventing the spread of the coronavirus, but I don’t think the ban is a good decision,” he says.

“My wife also works in aged care. But say I work in facility A and my wife works in facility B, we share a home so it doesn’t matter. We are both PPE trained and doing everything we can to be safe. I think we are doing a great job.”

There are severe staff shortages in aged care, pushed by the impacts of the coronavirus. The ban inevitably will add to the challenge for aged care providers.

In a 2018 HESTA report titled ‘Transforming Aged Care’, 30 percent of surveyed aged care workers said they would move employers if they weren’t receiving enough hours. The ban has the potential to exacerbate this.

“I work in two facilities and neither know how long the ban will last. I will probably have to change industries. I have two kids and cannot live on one job in aged care.”

“The homes are also begging us to choose them as the one we work at.”

The ban also has significant implications on the personal and financial lives of aged care workers. Justine has been in Australia for six years. He’s on a temporary visa and has worked hard during his time in Australia to reach permanent resident status. He must earn above $54000 to achieve that, which he doesn’t think he’ll be able to now.

He estimates the impacts of the ban means he and his wife will lose $1200 of income a week. After paying the mortgage, car loans and food, they will be left with about $100 a fortnight to pay on bills.

“If the government wants us to work one job, it should make up the money we will lose.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Ban on multiple jobs another blow for aged care workers

  Bans on aged care workers working in multiple aged care facilities shows how little has been done to protect the aged care workforce and those they care for in this pandemic, Carolyn Smith, the aged care director of United Workers Union, said today. “The Federal Government and the broader industry have ignored calls for... Read More

Patients with COVID-19 shouldn’t have to die alone. Here’s how a loved one could be there at the end

As a result of strict infection control measures restricting hospital visitors, tragically, many people who have died from COVID-19 have died alone. Family members have missed out on the opportunity to provide comfort to the dying person, to sit with them at their bedside, and to say goodbye. Read More

BREAKING – Two aged care residents receive ‘overdose’ of Pfizer vaccine

Two aged care residents in Brisbane have been administered higher than recommended doses of the Pfizer vaccine, with some reports saying they received as much as four times the recommended dose. Read More
Advertisement