From 11:59pm Wednesday 5 August, Bunnings stores in Metropolitan Melbourne will be open for trade customers only and will move to online ordering and contactless Drive & Collect for non-trades customers for the next six weeks.

For store team members, rosters will continue as normal until Thursday 13 August.

Bunnings will be providing access to different types of paid leave and utilising the bank of hours if required over the coming weeks.

Casual team members also accumulate sick leave which they can access and some are eligible for long service leave.

EG are continuing to operate as per normal for the moment.

While the curfew will affect most Victorian residents, there will still be a requirement to provide services for those businesses and emergency services which continue to operate during those hours. EG will assess further as the situation develops.

EG have not decided to change operating hours at the moment.

EG will pay employees for hours worked. Many employees are receiving JobKeeper payments so most will not lose income even if hours reduce in this scenario. EG also have extra leave available where team members have to self isolate.

The Employee Assistance Program continues to be available to team members.

Team members will be stood down (partially in the case of team members who will do store checks on occasion) but H&M will be topping up wages to 80% for the period of the shutdown (unless a team member is receiving JobKeeper in which case they will continue to receive JobKeeper).

Team members not eligible for JobKeeper will still be paid 80% of their base rate.

Team members can access their annual leave to top up to 100% if they so choose, and they will continue to accrue entitlements while they are stood down.

The Employee Assistance Program is able to be accessed by all team members.

IKEA is currently working through the detail of the restrictions but the understanding is that click and collect and home delivery will operate.

IKEA will maintain 100% of employee pay for 6 weeks (entire shut down period).

All team members will be paid the hours on the roster currently published until Sunday 6 September. For the remainder of the 6 weeks of restrictions, team members will be paid for hours worked in the store, or their contract hours, whichever is the greatest.

All team members on JobKeeper are stood down and continue to receive JobKeeper.

Team members who are not eligible for JobKeeper can access their annual or long service leave during stand down.

Team members will continue to accrue entitlements while stood down in line with JobKeeper regulations.

Online orders will only be fulfilled by warehouses, not from stores. Sales staff will not be transferred to online operations at this stage.

Any team members who continue to work can access their personal or annual leave.

Whilst Kmart stores will not be open to the public, Kmart will continue to operate stores online & contactless click and collect – this is all stores in metropolitan Melbourne. It is not Kmart’s intent to close any of their stores at all as they will all have the capacity to be online businesses.

Kmart will essentially operate stores ‘Business As Usual’ – all processes still need to occur in-store, with the exception of customer service teams/register operators.

All team members that are rostered to work from now until Sunday 23rd August (the current published rosters) will continue as planned and are expected to attend work as per the roster. This is for permanent team members and casual. Kmart does not intend to cancel any casual shifts over the next 2.5 weeks. If there is a need to cancel a shift as no work is available, Kmart will continue to pay the team members as per the roster if the cancellation is initiated by Kmart up until Sunday 23rd August.

If a team member does not feel safe attending work, they can surrender their shifts at no consequence to ongoing employment, or take accrued leave. For rosters commencing from Monday 24th August onwards, Kmart will publish these once it has an understanding of online volume and demand – the rosters will be built in line with operational needs, but as a minimum, they will ensure all permanent team members are utilised as a priority.

Team members will be upskilled and trained in how to complete online order pick & pack to enable Kmart to handle the volume of orders expected. Where team members are required to undertake curbside drop-off, team members will work in pairs for security/safety and will be issued with PPE (wet weather gear, hi-vis and phones).

Where team members are unable to be redeployed into other roles (primarily due to injury/illness, whether that be work-related or non-work-related) Kmart will consult with those team members individually to seek alternative duties in line with their capacity.

Permanent team members that have leave balances can request to take their leave.

If a team member is directed to stay at home by a medical practitioner or DHHS due to COVID, they will still have access to the Additional Paid Leave Policy – there is no change to this.

Kmart is also implementing new practices to keep team members safe at work – Kmart will not have team members crossing over in their duties or shifts, and have also asked that if it is possible team members that live at the same address work the same days/shifts. Kmart also has additional cleaning breaks in addition to the near 100 practices that the stores are doing (and checking via a checklist) each day.

Where Kmart is required to stand down team members, they will have access to a two-week Team Member support payment, where they would receive their base rate of pay for the hours that they would have worked for a period of up to two weeks.

Myer will be closing for retail trade from 11.59 PM on Wednesday 5 August for six weeks.

This will mean that Melbourne City, Chadstone, Highpoint, Doncaster, Southland, Northland, Werribee, Fountain Gate, Frankston, Eastland & Knox City will not be open for trade.

Stores outside of metropolitan Melbourne, including Geelong, Ballarat & Bendigo will continue to trade in-line with the Stage 3 restrictions announced for regional Victoria.

The following stores will have ‘click and collect’ operation (i.e. as fulfilment only):

•          Melbourne City

•          Highpoint

•          Doncaster

•          Southland

•          Northland.

For these stores that continue to support Click & Collect and Fulfilment, this will mean that permanent team members in Merchandise Support and Fulfilment roles will continue in their role where incoming merchandise is required to be processed and online orders are required to be fulfilled.

Any employees who would normally work in stores in online fulfilment who are unable to because they have a genuine need to care for children will be able to elect to be stood down and receive JobKeeper.

All other permanent Team Members are not required to perform their duties and will be paid through the JobKeeper program (if eligible), or by accessing their leave entitlements (Long Service Leave and Annual Leave) by booking leave into WSS if they are ineligible for JobKeeper or wished to be topped up to their regular wage (if it is greater than $1500 a fortnight).

Outside any days where annual leave or long service leave bookings are made, “Stand Down Unpaid Leave of Absence” will be uploaded centrally on the Sunday before the scheduled pay run and there will be no opportunity to amend or reverse leave bookings after this day.

This period of stand down does not affect continuity of service.  Annual Leave and Sick Leave will continue to accrue.

Employees who have been stood down and are eligible for Jobkeeper will not have to use their leave for this period and they will continue to get JobKeeper.  Employees can access leave if they want to but don’t have too.

Any employees who would normally work in stores in online fulfilment who are unable to because they have a genuine need to care for children will be able to elect to be stood down and receive jobKeeper.

Myer team member can access EAP service available on 1300 130 130 through D’Accord.

In addition, Myer has provided the following information to its team members in relation to the Permitted Worker Permit:

From 11:59pm on Wednesday 5 August, Merchandise Support & Online Team Members working throughout metropolitan Melbourne will require a worker permit to attend work for permitted workplace activities.

Merchandise Support & Online Team Members attending shifts in closed stores after Wednesday 5th of August will receive their permit on their first rostered shift.

An employee may travel to work without a worker permit once to get their first permit.

Team members who are continuing to conduct work in closed metropolitan stores (or reside in metropolitan Victoria and work in a regional store) must carry this permit at all times, either electronically or in hard copy, and produce the permit when requested by a member of Victoria Police. It must not be shared or used by anyone other than yourself or for any purpose other than travelling to or from your residence and place of work. Team members should carry photo identification when travelling to and from the workplace.

Myer has determined that team members who are conducting work to support online fulfilment activities during this time are considered to be working in an approved category for on-site work.

Permits will be available for collection from your store manager when attending your first rostered fulfilment or merchandise support shift.

Employees that are unexpectedly called in outside of their specified hours can attend their workplace.

They will need to carry the worker permit they do have, to ensure authorities can verify with their employer that they are on their way to work.

Updated permits will be issued on a weekly basis by stores to team members continuing to work through the closure period. The team member will need to carry their old worker permit, to ensure authorities can verify with their employer that they are on their way to work. Once at work team members will receive their updated permits with the forward week’s schedule.

An adult can take an essential worker to and from their place of work without a worker permit, if the worker is their dependant and unable to transport themselves.

If needed, authorities must be able to confirm that travel is in accordance with the worker permit.

An employee must not use a worker permit, even if they have been issued one, if:

•          they test positive to coronavirus (COVID-19) and are required to self-isolate

•          they are a close contact of someone who has tested positive

Priceline has contacted stores where staff will be stood down and informed them that they are able to use their paid leave entitlements, also with the ability to take it at half pay if desired.

Priceline will fulfill its commitment to reverse used leave if employees gain access to JobKeeper or a subsidy in the future. Priceline team members will continue to accrue entitlements while on stand down.

‘Click and collect’ will only be available at the regional stores not impacted by the stage 4 restrictions. All other stores will cease ‘click and collect’ for this period.

To avoid team members working at multiple locations team members will only be able to work at their nominated store (should it be remaining open in a ‘click and collect’ capacity). Casuals in the stand down stores will be kept up to date on any developments.

The Employee Assistance Program is also accessible.

Whilst Target stores will not be open to the public, Target will continue to operate stores online & contactless click and collect – this is all stores in metropolitan Melbourne. It is not Target’s intent to close any of their stores at all as they will all have the capacity to be online businesses.

Target will essentially operate stores ‘Business As Usual’ – all processes still need to occur in-store, with the exception of customer service teams/register operators.

All team members that are rostered to work from now until Sunday 23rd August (the current published rosters) will continue as planned and are expected to attend work as per the roster. This is for permanent team members and casual. Target does not intend to cancel any casual shifts over the next 2.5 weeks. If there is a need to cancel a shift as no work is available, Target will continue to pay the team members as per the roster if the cancellation is initiated by Target up until Sunday 23rd August.

If a team member does not feel safe attending work, they can surrender their shifts at no consequence to ongoing employment, or take accrued leave. For rosters commencing from Monday 24th August onwards, Target will publish these once it has an understanding of online volume and demand – the rosters will be built in line with operational needs, but as a minimum, they will ensure all permanent team members are utilised as a priority.

Team members will be upskilled and trained in how to complete online order pick & pack to enable Target to handle the volume of orders expected. Where team members are required to undertake curbside drop-off, team members will work in pairs for security/safety and will be issued with PPE (wet weather gear, hi-vis and phones).

Where team members are unable to be redeployed into other roles (primarily due to injury/illness, whether that be work-related or non-work-related) Target will consult with those team members individually to seek alternative duties in line with their capacity.

Permanent team members that have leave balances can request to take their leave.

If a team member is directed to stay at home by a medical practitioner or DHHS due to COVID, they will still have access to the Additional Paid Leave Policy – there is no change to this.

Target is also implementing new practices to keep team members safe at work – Target will not have team members crossing over in their duties or shifts, and have also asked that if it is possible team members that live at the same address work the same days/shifts. Target also has additional cleaning breaks in addition to the near 100 practices that the stores are doing (and checking via a checklist) each day.

Where Target is required to stand down team members, they will have access to a two-week Team Member support payment, where they would receive their base rate of pay for the hours that they would have worked for a period of up to two weeks.