Coronavirus | PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum
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Coronavirus

I'd believe in 3 months at the most. Wouldn't you think suspending employment would be a more viable option for SME's instead of redundancy?

I think most businesses will look at that first, but if they suspend employment, how does anyone pay wages,. The employee must agree to it and wouldn't be paid, as they aren't unemployed they then can't claim unemployment benefits so would literally have no money coming in.

I work for a business that will be significantly impacted by this, at this stage there isn't a plan for wholesale redundancies for a couple of reasons (not least the cost of redundancy) and will go down other options (deferring costs etc) but when our highest fixed costs are labour and property rents is obvious where most businesses will be looking.
 
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I think most businesses will look at that first, but if they suspend employment, how does anyone pay wages,. The employee must agree to it and wouldn't be paid, as they aren't unemployed they then can't claim unemployment benefits so would literally have no money coming in.

I work for a business that will be significantly impacted by this, at this stage there isn't a plan for wholesale redundancies for a couple of reasons (not least the cost of redundancy) and will go down other options (deferring costs etc) but when our highest fixed costs are labour and property rents is obvious where most businesses will be looking.

In the US some hotels have put employees on zero hour contracts. Allows them to stop paying them, avoid redundancy payments and further prevents the employees from receiving unemployment benefits. Just an ugly situation.
 
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I think most businesses will look at that first, but if they suspend employment, how does anyone pay wages,. The employee must agree to it and wouldn't be paid, as they aren't unemployed they then can't claim unemployment benefits so would literally have no money coming in.

I work for a business that will be significantly impacted by this, at this stage there isn't a plan for wholesale redundancies for a couple of reasons (not least the cost of redundancy) and will go down other options (deferring costs etc) but when our highest fixed costs are labour and property rents is obvious where most businesses will be looking.
Reduced pay for the short-term. I'd rather accept it than been told goodbye for ever. If an entity's costs can also drop it would help. We all need to work together.
 
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Reduced pay for the short-term. I'd rather accept it than been told goodbye for ever. If an entity's costs can also drop it would help. We all need to work together.

Going to a 3 or 4 day week may work as it continues to drive some income, and I'd most likely do this if the option was available, obviously at the end of this a lot of people will be looking for a new jobs and I'd rather not have to do that when unemployment levels are high. Going to zero hours helps no one.

In order to do that I just think there are options there, like I mentioned on the guaranteed superannuation payments, people need that money now, not in the future. For example, businesses pay around the attached %'s, salary (100%), super (9.5%), payroll tax (5%) and workcover (5%) so businesses largely pay around 120% of salary due to oncosts.

Lets say there is a move to a 3 day week, salary drops to 60% (big change for employee, if they can receive their super payments NOW, this increases that to around 70%. Businesses though get that full benefit and can reduce wage bills by 30-40%. Should they be able to get wage subsidies (which I think should be available) then they can reduce wage bills to lower than 50% and companies (particularly where skilled labour is required) will likely retain rather than remove staff. Between this and deferred / reduce rent payments (likely will need lease extensions) then companies that may have 2-3 months of available cash, may then be able to stretch that to 5-6 months which should ensure a lot of businesses that without this support from employees and the government would likely not be there in 6 months time.
 
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Going to a 3 or 4 day week may work as it continues to drive some income, and I'd most likely do this if the option was available, obviously at the end of this a lot of people will be looking for a new jobs and I'd rather not have to do that when unemployment levels are high. Going to zero hours helps no one.

In order to do that I just think there are options there, like I mentioned on the guaranteed superannuation payments, people need that money now, not in the future. For example, businesses pay around the attached %'s, salary (100%), super (9.5%), payroll tax (5%) and workcover (5%) so businesses largely pay around 120% of salary due to oncosts.

Lets say there is a move to a 3 day week, salary drops to 60% (big change for employee, if they can receive their super payments NOW, this increases that to around 70%. Businesses though get that full benefit and can reduce wage bills by 30-40%. Should they be able to get wage subsidies (which I think should be available) then they can reduce wage bills to lower than 50% and companies (particularly where skilled labour is required) will likely retain rather than remove staff. Between this and deferred / reduce rent payments (likely will need lease extensions) then companies that may have 2-3 months of available cash, may then be able to stretch that to 5-6 months which should ensure a lot of businesses that without this support from employees and the government would likely not be there in 6 months time.
Sounds feasible however super is another story. Needs a huge overhaul.

A small cafe shop under the building where I work have suspended 2 employees with only 2 working overtime, but that workload will reduce as most in my company are going to be working from home (i.e. less people spending). It's going to keep them lying low for the short-term which they can cope with as they improvise to lower their costs.
 
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Nah **** it. Just go out and enjoy life. It's your life and you only live it once. Go out and have a few drinks. Have some more drinks. Then drive home.

Don't forget to shout TM a drink, I'm sure he'll be there. He'll probably run you home too.
 
I think most businesses will look at that first, but if they suspend employment, how does anyone pay wages,. The employee must agree to it and wouldn't be paid, as they aren't unemployed they then can't claim unemployment benefits so would literally have no money coming in.

I work for a business that will be significantly impacted by this, at this stage there isn't a plan for wholesale redundancies for a couple of reasons (not least the cost of redundancy) and will go down other options (deferring costs etc) but when our highest fixed costs are labour and property rents is obvious where most businesses will be looking.

The UK government has pledged to pay 80% of wages to those who are laid off. Maybe something similar will happen here. Not sure how long that can go on for, but it would buy time to plot the path forward.

Reckon 80% of wages when you can't go out and spend it is exceedingly generous.
 
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Have sought the counsel of several wise people who hold positions of responsibility in the finance world, for my own reassurance as much as anything. They were all more or less aligned in saying that anyone who says they know what the markets will do is lying (one admitted to purchasing a few shares in major companies).

Don't worry about the markets worry about the small businesses that will be ruined and hundreds of thousands of jobs lost. Sharebrokers (you mentioned them in a previous post) are real estate agents of the finance world, no more than salesman. Yeh no one can predict the future but I can't see anything but an international disaster.

How will any small business in retail/hospitality survive 6 months of reduced sales let alone 14 day shutdowns? How many large retailers will survive this? The travel industry? Many employed in those industries will go from $x every week to $0 every week. How will the welfare system cope? How much savings does the average barista, waitress, chef, travel host etc have?

If this gets out of hand like in the states we will be looking at massive closures, massive unemployment. Yet peanuts like TM thinks its all OK cause his mum said you only live once?

Every *smile* on Bondi beach yesterday should be made to go to the funerals of the 00's their actions are condemning.
 
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It's been reported that China's recovering and starting to ease these draconian laws with kids back at school, people back at work etc.. Can we say the whole period was ~ 2 months? Surely, this would be the mean average for most countries (maybe bar Italy).
China have a little more control on their population than the freedoms we enjoy here. When you've got a fair share of ignorant & entitled you've got no chance of enforcing actions like the Chinese have taken.
 
A lot of financial ruin and harm can be prevented if the Government uses some of Australia's Future Fund.
In the 14 years since it's inception it has grown to $168 Billion as at 31/12/19.

"We were established in 2006 to strengthen the Australian Government's long-term financial position. Every dollar that we make is a dollar that adds to Australia's wealth and contributes to its future."

Use it now, the mission statement says that......... "Every dollar that we make is a dollar that adds to Australia's wealth and contributes to its future.".........t's time to use it for the Australian's Health as well as it's Wealth.

Edit

It says that it was established "to strengthen the Australian Government's long-term financial position"

How about they start using it for AUSTRALIAN'S long-term future.

 
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We'll probably end up at C. Some will arrive there before being directed by the government. Not such an easy decision for others.

I'm at C, and not sure why anyone with half a brain is engaging in any non-essential activity. I can understand the peanuts doing what they want but anyone with the intelligence to look beyond their tiny world will see a storm coming.

Or perhaps they just don't like old people?
 
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What's your opinion based on?

You and TM are PRE's Statler & Waldorf.
I just don't think we're going to be hit as hard as forecasted. Just a thought. Sorry if it bothers anyone.

So far 115,000 tests = 99% negative. I don't fall for scaremongering cliches like "it's gonna get worse before it gets better" and this pedantic social distancing rubbish. I'll bring a ruler everytime I go out next time....

Forecast: Australia 30,000 cases by April 5 (just in a fortnight). Who and what do you believe in stats?
 
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The UK government has pledged to pay 80% of wages to those who are laid off. Maybe something similar will happen here. Not sure how long that can go on for, but it would buy time to plot the path forward.

Reckon 80% of wages when you can't go out and spend it is exceedingly generous.

Yeah I think its generous too. The payment that the UK government will make is to the employer in order to retain them in a job. There are other options IMO in Australia like the suspension of the superannuation guarantee. The NZ government are offering $580 per week for 13 weeks for those that cannot work from home, paid to the employer.

A mix of various options will provide support for businesses and should be extended to all employees in affected businesses whether they can work from home or not. Probably cost the government around $40bn for the 3 months which is maybe why they aren't going down that route, however I suspect the economic impact will be much greater if they don't.
 
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Forecast: Australia 30,000 cases by April 5 (just in a fortnight). Who and what do you believe in stats?

Roughly what I make it also.

1050 * 1.25 ^ 15 (1050 infections currently, 25% daily increase, 15 days)

You would hope the 25% decreases as people heed the danger. The global daily increase is currently mid to high teens, down from around 30% at the end of February.
 
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Roughly what I make it also.

1050 * 1.25 ^ 15 (1050 infections currently, 25% daily increase, 15 days)

You would hope the 25% decreases as people heed the danger. The global daily increase is currently mid to high teens, down from around 30% at the end of February.
So why 25% if it's dropped to under that?