It’s not just double demerits that you have to worry about around public holidays.

Cara Waters from Smart Company (June 7) has tried to untangle the confusion.

The first issue is the date of the public holiday. Most Pet Businesses are preparing the Queen’s Birthday long weekend, with a public holiday in most states and territories for Monday, June 10. 

The exception is Western Australia where the state doesn’t celebrate the Queen’s Birthday with a public holiday until October 1, but confusingly, Western Australia had a public holiday this week known as Foundation Day.

 According to Fair Work Australia, national public holidays are scheduled on New Year’s Day (January 1), Australia Day (January 26), Good Friday, Easter Monday, Anzac Day (April 25), Queen’s Birthday, Christmas Day (December 25) and Boxing Day (December 26).

 States and territories then have their own additional public holidays, like Victoria’s Melbourne Cup holiday.

 BUT Public holidays can be confusing when they fall on a weekend and then an additional day off is declared.

 Businesses which open on public holidays such as the Queen’s Birthday holiday face uncertainty as to what employees should be paid.

 The Fair Work Ombudsman provides that when a public holiday falls on a day an employee normally works, full- and part-time employees are entitled to be paid at their base rate of pay, not including any incentive-based payment or penalty rates.

 If the request is reasonable, an employer can ask their employees to work on a public holiday and they are entitled to be paid a minimum of their base rate of pay for all hours worked on that day.

 But under many awards or agreements employees may receive a penalty rate or loading for the hours they work, be provided with time off instead of payment of penalty rates or receive equivalent time added to their annual leave.

 Employers should be aware that if they have employees working over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend, the employees may be entitled to receive penalty rates -particularly the Retail Award.  Note that casual employees aren’t entitled to be paid for a day off for a public holiday.

Most underpayment cases are accidental as a result of employers not being aware of the pay rates that apply.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CLICK HERE

With acknowledgements to Dr Dan…

The following new combination dog breeds are now recognized by the UKC*:

Collie + Lhasa Apso
Collapso, a dog that folds up for easy transport

Spitz + Chow Chow
Spitz-Chow, a dog that throws up a lot

Pointer + Setter
Poinsetter, a traditional Christmas pet

Malamute + Pointer
Moot Point, owned by….oh, well, it doesn’t matter anyway

Pekingnese + Lhasa Apso
Peekasso, an abstract dog

Labrador Retriever + Curly Coated Retriever
Lab Coat Retriever, the choice of research scientists

Newfoundland + Basset Hound
NewAsset Hound, a dog for financial advisors

Terrier + Bulldog
Terribull, a dog that makes awful mistakes

Bloodhound + Labrador
Bloodador, a dog with a clumsiness problem around entryways

Collie + Malamute
Commute, a dog that travels to work

Deerhound + Terrier
Derriere, a dog that’s true to the end

Bull Terrier + ShihTzu
Bull….. Oh, never mind

Now, we are pretty good at spotting funny things about dogs, but we are no good at art – feel free to send us your drawings of any of these ‘new’ dogs!

* UKC: Unbelievable Kennel Council

We know dogs understand humans, but what about the reverse? A recent study proves that most adult humans seem to be able to read “dog” facial expressions, according to recent research in America. 

TO  SEE A SUMMARY OF THE STUDY, CLICK HERE.