Businesses face a workers compensation premium hike of more than $900 to cover the presumption that any worker who tests positive to COVID caught the virus while at work.
“This is an unfair additional cost for the poor business owner who has had to live through almost two years of lockdowns and restrictions on their capacity to trade and make a profit,” said Business NSW Chief Executive Daniel Hunter.
In simple terms, business is being asked to pay for insurance for their employees contracting a virus. This defies logic.... Business NSW urges the Lower-House to support small businesses and vote against imposing more costs on them.
“For two years small businesses have heard from politicians about how they are right behind them. The Upper House had a chance to quantify that support but are kicking the can down the road and sending the Bill to Committee for discussion in the New Year. Business needs support, not delays,” Mr Hunter said.
“In simple terms, business is being asked to pay for insurance for their employees contracting a virus. This defies any form of logic and sets a much wider precedent, and it’s now our struggling business owners that are being asked to pay for insurance against a pandemic. For many small businesses, this is a whole week's worth of profits.
“It seems the politicians think that now that businesses are open, they are all back at full capacity and at full profit – it will be months, if not years, before businesses regain pre-pandemic stability, yet the NSW Upper House has risked slugging them with more costs when they are down.
“The Bill will likely be presented to the Lower House in the coming week – Business NSW urges members to support small businesses, and vote against imposing more costs on them.
“Business owners and their employees want their Members of Parliament to be on their side at this challenging time,” Mr Hunter said.
