We hope everyone had a fantastic Easter and a great break! Did you know it was Qlds first zero Easter road toll for 20 years – something worth celebrating!

What are everyone’s thoughts on the new mascot for the 2018 Commonwealth Games? Borobi (indigenous word for Koala) is the surfing koala – something we will all see quite a lot of in the next couple of years. The 2018 games are to be held on the Gold Coast, with some events in Brisbane. What a fantastic opportunity to see some of Australia’s finest athletes compete!

Fringe Benefits Tax Time..
March 31 was the end of the FBT year and we are asking all clients with work vehicles to note their Odometer reading. Last week all clients with work vehicles were emailed a Fringe Benefits Tax Questionnaire. Please fill in the details and return, so these can be lodged with the ATO. If you did not receive an email and think you should have please contact our office and one can be emailed or posted to you. Remember if you have any questions regarding your FBT Justin and Paul are happy to help.

Office Gossip…
Nicole and her family have just returned from a week away at Sawtell – just south of Coffs Harbour. The kids went fishing and although a lot of bait was “lost” a few fish were caught. Not quite big enough for the BBQ but lots of fun just the same!! Karen is returning to CVA at the end of May after having her second baby. She will be working part time and is looking forward to catching up with all her clients.

Global Business Camp News…
Justin has recently returned from another hugely successful Global Business Camp. Justin and his clients received fantastic business coaching along with an amazing presentation by Steven Bradbury – Australian Olympic Gold Winner. Steven’s determination to win and never give up attitude won him a Gold Medal – something we can all learn from. If you want more information on these camps and how it can help your business call Justin today.

Guvera Signs up Mumbai Indians!
Guvera has become the official music streaming partner of the IPL team Mumbai Indians for 2016.
Breaking into the Indian market has been an important goal for AMMA and the strategic importance of this is a massive step in the right direction and will really put Guvera on the map in this cricket mad nation!

Rules of Redundancy..
Whilst business is booming, making money is easy, and life is good. Suddenly, things take a turn for the worse and letting staff go is the only way to make ends meet. When this time arises, do you know enough to navigate the list of complex requirements? A redundancy is genuine if you no longer require anyone to perform a role which an employee currently holds. This can occur due to operational requirements of the business such as: restructure; downsizing; outsourcing; or, the closing down or sale of the business. I need to reduce my team of five sales employees to three as a result of economic downturn affecting the business. What rules are there to follow when choosing who will remain employed and who will become redundant?
There are a few ways to select which employees will be made redundant during a downsizing process. The most fair and reasonable way to select which employees will be made redundant is through a skills matrix. When selecting employees, it is important to link your decisions with the operational requirements of the business. The selection criteria should be objective, non-discriminatory, and consistently and fairly applied.
Best practice would be to map all of the affected employees on a matrix, against a series of selection criteria to clearly see which employees best suit the requirements of the business moving forward. Examples of possible selection criteria to use in your skills matrix would be:
• Required skills: relevant experience, training, qualifications
• Productivity levels (using objective, quantifiable records): sales data, daily production rates
• Performance-based (be careful as this can get subjective; it is important that performance based selection is still closely linked to skills and productivity)
Remember: termination for redundancy can only occur where the job is genuinely no longer required by the business; it should not be used as a way to deal with concerns about an employee’s performance or conduct.
If you need more information on any of this please contact Justin on 07 4688 2500.
Information supplied by CCIQ.

The post April Newsletter appeared first on Clear Vision Accountancy Group.