Wanting to escape the “winter blues” for some sunshine? Not sure if you have enough annual leave?…there’s an easy way to find out!

Annual leave (which is also known as holiday pay) allows an employee to take time off work and still be paid their normal wages or salary.

The National Employment Standards (NES) set out the entitlement to annual leave, however your entitlement can be altered by awards or registered agreements, but only to offer you more annual leave, never less than the NES.

All full time staff are entitled to four weeks annual leave, and part time employees are entitled to a pro-rata amount of annual leave based on the number of hours they ordinarily work, only casual employees have no entitlement (Note: shift workers may receive up to 5 weeks of annual leave).

While your entitlement to annual leave is usually shown on your payslip, you can also request an updated figure from your payroll office, or use the leave entitlement calculator made available by the Fair Work Ombudsman, you can find the calculator here.

Remember to keep in mind any future leave you require, and planned workplace closures…but if you manage to escape to the sunshine…I’d love to hear some warm stories!

Regards

As I meander my way around the various social media outlets…I have finally been introduced to Twitter!

Of course I’ve always known about Twitter, but have never taken an interest…until now.

I received an e-mail this week from a business associate asking for a photograph so she could “tweet” that I was attending an upcoming conference (makes me sound kind of important hey?)…I’ll be happy to provide this when I find something that looks half decent…but more importantly it gave me the jolt I needed to set up my own Twitter account.

The one question I have is – how am I supposed to get my head around all this #hashtag stuff?  I’m perfectly capable of writing a sentence (most of the time), but I think it’s going to take a bit to get used to the #hashtag business!

I once sat next to a woman who spent an entire full day seminar “tweeting”…I have no idea how she did it! I definitely need some help, if anyone has any advice, please let me know!

So if you are a Twitter user, or you know a Twitter user, please point them in my direction… @bronthetaxchic

Regards

If you follow The Tax Chic on Facebook, you’ve probably seen me reference the Reserve Bank of Australia…the RBA…(if you don’t follow The Tax Chic on Facebook, please click here to like!)

But exactly who are the RBA?

According to their website: “The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is Australia’s central bank and derives its functions and powers from the Reserve Bank Act 1959. Its duty is to contribute to the stability of the currency, full employment, and the economic prosperity and welfare of the Australian people. It does this by setting the cash rate to meet an agreed medium-term inflation target, working to maintain a strong financial system and efficient payments system, and issuing the nation’s banknotes. The RBA provides certain banking services as required to the Australian Government and its agencies, and to a number of overseas central banks and official institutions. Additionally, it manages Australia’s gold and foreign exchange reserves.”

The one function the RBA performs, that most businesses and individuals are interested in, is the setting of interest rates.

On the first Tuesday of each month, the Board of the RBA meet to determine policy, and at 2.30pm AEST, an announcement is made regarding the cash rate.

Any changes to the cash rate means an “almost certain” change in interest rates by banks.

You can find out about any changes to the cash rate by keeping an eye on Facebook…I’ll happily keep you updated!

Regards

The month of August showcases the Small Business Festival Victoria!

With over 300 events, workshops and seminars across Victoria, the Festival aims to provide information to help you start your business, or help it grow…no matter what industry you are in or whether you are a new business or well established, you are bound to find something of interest to you.

There is a good mix of face-to-face events and webinars, some with a small cost to attend, but many are free of charge…the only investment is your time.

For me and my business, I’ve been scouring the Festival program to see what I can fit into my schedule (August seems to be particularly busy…!) – I’ll be attending a mix of events, and look forward to the information I’m going to absorb!

Another great aspect of the Festival is the Regional Partner Festivals which are held in the following locations:

• B31: Ballarat Business Month
• Geelong Small Business Festival
• North East Small Business Festival
• Bendigo Small Business Festival
• Gippsland Small Business Festival
• Warrnambool Small Business Festival

With so many locations, as well as online options, I encourage anyone in business to take a look at the program and see if you can find something to whet your appetite!

You can read all about Small Business Festival Victoria here!

Regards