Is your business searching for ways to assemble a more diverse and better-engaged workforce? If so, you will be glad to hear that the Australian Government offers a wide range of wage subsidies, incentives, and assistance funds to help your business hire great employees, while celebrating inclusivity, and making a positive impact on people! Let’s take a look at some of these programs so you can put them to work for your business!
Wage Subsidy – The government wage subsidy scheme helps your business employ eligible individuals with skills to share who want to work, but have disabilities, on a part-time or full-time basis, or in apprenticeship and traineeship programs! Individuals who already receive different government funding for the same position are ineligible for a wage subsidy. Additionally, the wage subsidy must not be used for a family member, or for self-employment, subcontracted, and commission-based positions.
WorkSafe Incentive – The WorkSafe Incentive Scheme for Employers, or WISE for short, offers funds to businesses who are willing to offer at least 8 hours of employment a week to individuals who have suffered a work-related injury or illness that prevents them from returning to their old job. However, it is important to note that there are some businesses or positions that are not eligible to use WISE, like group training organizations, traineeships, labor-hire companies, and employment agencies. In addition, WISE funds cannot be applied to apprenticeship programs.
Disability Employment Services – This wage subsidy scheme helps to cover a disabled employee’s wages during their first several months of employment by giving eligible employers funds to do so. The scheme is intended to assist people with disability to acquire experience skills and experience through employment. The businesses who are eligible to receive this funding are required to have an Australian business number, or ABN, and have never previously been given a government wage subsidy for the same position, nor have recently reduced the number of people that they employ.
Employment Assistance Fund – The Employment Assistance Fund, also known as EAF program encourages and provides assistance to businesses who wish to modify their physical workplace to better accommodate employees with disability, and foster a safer working environment for them. This funding helps more businesses to employ people with disability by improving their access to opportunities and increasing the capacity of their contributions by helping them to work more independently.
To break it down, this fund assists employers to do things like:
- Invest in communications technology, and add Auslan, the abbreviation of Australian Sign Language, interpreting services.
- Make helpful modifications to the physical workplace,
- Invest in services and equipment that individuals require as a result of their disability to assist them in performing their jobs.
- Bring in specialist support for employees suffering from learning disorders or debilitating mental health conditions.
- Implement disability awareness training programs for all employees in the workplace.
These programs all make a big difference for the business that participates in them and for the employees they help to be active members of the nation’s workforce. Australia is a world leader in implementing positive change for all its people!
