• Introduction

    Not published to students
    Current

    This section is all about how to manage 'being employed' as for many people, this is a bit of a shock to the system!  Whether it is your first job you are struggling with, or having a new boss who treats you differently to previous bosses - learning how to manage the process of actually being told what to do by someone else can be difficult.  

    This section gives you some pointers to help you cope and succeed as a great employee.

  • Developing a Work Ethic

    Not published to students
    Current

    There may come a time in the future when you become your own boss and set up your own business.  As your work expands, you may hire new people to come and work for you.  When this happens, you will suddenly understand how important a person's work ethic is - but it is difficult to comprehend its importance until then, particularly if you work for the public sector or a large company where every hour is counted and you get flexi or overtime for each 15 minutes you work outside work hours.

    With small businesses in particular, your boss will be very aware of how you are spending your time and the effort you put in during the time they are paying you for.  If you spend 30 mins having a coffee and chatting on Snapchat or checking Facebook, they are going to be wondering why they are paying you.


    So what is a work ethic?

    This next video is a compilation of different successful men talking about what a work ethic is to them.  Note that these are some of the most successful men in business at this time, so their work ethic could be considered a bit extreme, but watch the video and think about how hard you are prepared to work in life to get what you want.

    Playing time: 13.01

     


    For a deeper insight into how your work ethic needs to persist, watch this video of Jennifer Lopez talking about how her career developed so broadly and how she created opportunities for herself and took them on with a determination to succeed.

    Playing time: 4.55


     

    ACTIVITY:

    Consider you are going for a job and you know the field is competitive.  How can you articulate your work ethic in a manner that will convince your prospective boss that you are the right person for the job?  Now - it is easy to write something that looks great but actually sounds really false so the trick is to practice saying this, and video yourself, so that you can find a way of meaning what you say, and being authentic.  Post your videos in the My Work Ethic Wiki for feedback from each other, and to share ideas.


    THE NEED FOR PATIENCE

    If there is one thing that many young people can be criticized for as a generation, it is the desire for success to come quickly.  It is almost like there is an expectation that hard work will lead to instant success, instant promotion, and instant wealth.  This is not the case.  There is no entitlement in life to be given anything without earning it, and nothing is earned instantly.

    Gary Vaynerchuk has made this next video for young people graduating from school, and while it contains lots of swearing (warning for those of you who find swearing offensive) it carries a lot of messaging about the need to be patient for the fruits of your success to appear.

    Playing time: 12.26


    Key messages in this video are firstly that you are not lost in life this early on - you are just at the beginning of the adventure; don't judge yourself too early. Try out lots of different things to find what makes you happy. There is a real need for patience, as time is your asset.

    ACTIVITY:

    For at least one of the messages in this video that strikes you (for example, just close your eyes until you are 29), create a graphic consisting of a picture with a message written over it that has meaning to you, and a phrasing of Gary's message that works for you.  Post it in the Gary Vee wiki to share with others and provide feedback for each other.


    Focussing your work ethic for a purpose

    Some of you may be thinking that as much as you intend to work hard and stay motivated, how do you sustain this when your job is really boring and doesn't interest you?

    Oprah Winfrey gives a talk at a college graduation that has been made into a video where she reflects on her life, the lessons learned and how her work developed from being something she did to the person she is.  Have a watch - it's quite long but worth watching to the end.

    Playing time: 12.38


    There is so much in this video, you may want to watch it twice.


    ACTIVITY:

    Oprah talks about our legacy being the impact on every other person we interact with in the world.  Think about the legacy you want to leave behind.  What words do you want people to be saying about you after they have interacted with you?  How can you make these into a mantra for yourself to remind yourself everyday of the authentic you that you are going to be every day?  Post your mantra in the 'my mantra' forum so we can celebrate them with each other.



  • Managing Time and Personal Hygiene

    Not published to students
    Current

    There are some basic practical things you need to consider about being employed that perhaps are not quite so important in other areas of our life.  The first of these is turning up on time.


    Time Keeping

    It is very important to turn up at work at time - it is a sign of respect.  If you are late to meetings, or late to work, you are basically telling the others that your time is more valuable than theirs is.  

    This next short video discusses poor time keeping from an employer's point of view.

    Playing time: 4.22


    The video discusses some of the longer term impacts that poor time keeping can have on your longer term relationships and prospects.

    ACTIVITY:

    Think about your time keeping habits.  Do you tend to be early or late?  Why?  Post in the time keeping forum your feelings around being late, or other people being late, and what that means to you, i.e. how do you feel about being kept waiting or keeping others waiting?


    MANAGING YOUR TIME

    Taking a bigger perspective on time, this next video asks us to think about how we are using our time generally, and whether we are wasting our time.  Do you know how many seconds there are in a day?  86,400!  How are you spending yours?

    Playing time: 4.58



    ACTIVITY:

    Reflecting on this video and the messages in it, what is one thing you are going to change about how you manage your days to shift your appreciation of time?  Post your reflections in the 'my time' forum.


    Personal Hygiene

    It is very important that you start each work day clean, smelling either good or not at all, and with appropriate work clothing presented in an appropriate way.  This means a shirt may need to be ironed. Shoes should be appropriate to the amount of time you will need to spend on your feet and of the appropriate robustness to withstand any workplace hazards. Uniforms should be clean at the start of the day, and there should be no stale odours in your clothes of cigarette smoke, sweat or other smells.

    Personal hygiene can be one of those things that some people are not aware of, but trust me - other people are!  If you smell of sweat, you may not be able to smell it as it's a natural smell to you, but it's not a natural smell to anyone else!  By the end of a day, if the weather is hot, and / or your work is physically taxing, it can be acceptable that you have got hot, sweaty, and dirty through the course of your work - but to start the day like that is completely unacceptable.

    This short video was made by a group of high school students to make the point about the importance of basic personal hygiene to make someone socially acceptable to others.

    Playing time: 3.58


    Personal hygiene is a taboo subject for a lot of people - that is, they don't like to address it with people, so it is more likely that you will just feel nobody wants to work with you than find out that they find your hygiene unacceptable.  Nobody likes to tell someone they smell, so if you find you are getting a reaction of people moving away from you when you engage them in conversation, do a personal hygiene audit first.

    ACTIVITY:

    Attached is a personal hygiene list for you to check your habits against, as people can often let these slip, particularly when they first move out of home.  For example, how often do you wash your sheets and towels?


  • Doing what you are told to do

    Not published to students
    Current

    Sometimes, one of the most difficult things about being employed is being told what to do - particularly if you can see a better way of doing something and your boss isn't interested in listening to you.  However, the reality is that they are paying for your time, so they can ask you to do anything reasonable in that time and you need to do it or risk being fired.


    Health and Safety

    Obviously someone cannot ask you to do something that is not safe, that you are not trained or able to do, or is inappropriate to your job role, but provided you are being asked to do something that is reasonably within the scope of your role and abilities, you pretty much need to do it, whether you want to or not; and you need to do it the way you are being directed to do it, even if there is an alternative way of doing it that you would prefer.  Often this is for health and safety reasons as your employer is responsible for the health and safety of their employees.  This next short video highlights some of your responsibilities in the workplace.

    Playing time: 2.08



    ACTIVITY:

    Often we become blind to risks and hazards in our workplaces as they become the norm, so it is good to take a look at what you are doing with fresh eyes every so often.   Take a walk around your workplace and see if there are any hazards that you think need addressing and raise them with your boss if they have gone unnoticed - particularly if people are not wearing safety equipment and PPE as this could prevent serious injury.  If you're unsure, raise the issues in the risk chat below and see what others think and are experiencing also.


    EMPLOYEE RIGHTS

    Under Australian employment law, and in particular the Fair Work Act, employees have a number of rights and entitlements, such as not being asked to work more than 38 hours a week (unless it is a reasonable request in the circumstances).  You also have the right to 4 weeks of paid annual leave, and the right to not be discriminated against, amongst other things.  You can find an overview of your rights in this next video provided by the Fair Work Ombudsman.

    Playing time: 2.04



    However, it is important to note that it is easier for small businesses to get rid of workers than large organisations, and anyone can be fired within the first 6 months of their employment as this is considered a probationary period of time, so if you don't pull your weight, you're out and have no opportunity to challenge it within the law.


  • Employment is a Relationship

    Not published to students
    Current

    Employment is essentially a relationship that is overseen by law to ensure that neither party in the relationship abuses the other.  The relationship is between you and the employer, which could be a person if they are a sole trader or small business, or it could be with an organisation for whom you report a nominated manager.  

    Employment legislation mandates some areas of the relationship and you can find more at the Fair Work Ombudsman website: 

    https://www.fairwork.gov.au/find-help-for/small-business


    YOUR OBLIGATIONS

    Underperformance, or poor performance, is when an employee isn't doing their job properly, or is behaving in an unacceptable way at work. It includes:

    • not carrying out their work to the required standard or not doing their job at all
    • not following workplace policies, rules or procedures
    • unacceptable behaviour at work, e.g. telling inappropriate jokes
    • disruptive or negative behaviour at work, e.g. constantly speaking negatively about the company.

    Serious misconduct is when an employee:

    • causes serious and imminent risk to the health and safety of another person or to the reputation or profits of their employer's business or
    • deliberately behaves in a way that's inconsistent with continuing their employment.

    Health and safety sign

    Photo by Erin Song on Unsplash


    Examples of serious misconduct include:

    • theft
    • fraud
    • assault
    • being drunk at work
    • refusing to carry out work duties.
    These requirements outline a minimum duty of care that you have to your employer and the work that you carry out.  But the employment relationship, when supported by a good work ethic, also carries an element of loyalty, trust and dependability.  An employer likes to know that they can rely on you to support them and go the extra mile for the business in times of need.  This is going beyond the written letter of the employment contract and contributes to the notion of having a good work ethic.

    ACTIVITY:

    Consider behaviour that you may have previously been involved in at school, or in social situations, which you now realise would not be appropriate in a workplace.  Think about the situations and contexts in which these situations arose.  Could they arise in the workplace?  For example, there are often a lot of issues arising out of staff getting drunk at a Christmas party and then behaving in a way that the employers do not find appropriate.  Discuss in the 'boundaries forum' where you think the boundaries should lie between work and social activities when you socialise with people from work or are involved in social activities in the workplace.


  • Tax returns

    Not published to students
    Current

    What's tax?

    Taxes are charges paid to the government to help pay for public services such as schools, universities, hospitals, roads, and public transport. You are required to pay a portion of your income to the Australian government as personal income tax. Taxes are collected by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

    Australia has a progressive income tax. This means people pay a different amount of tax depending on how much they earn, and people with higher incomes pay more tax.

    For purposes of taxation, your income is calculated according to the financial year, not the calendar year. Each Australian financial year runs from the 1st of July to the 30th of June the following year.

    These are the tax rates for Australian residents in the 2019 / 2020 financial year:

    Source: https://www.ato.gov.au/rates/individual-income-tax-rates/

    People earning the amount on the left pay the amount on the right. Notice that tax rates aren't just a proportion of somebody's income, but they're a lump sum plus a proportion of any income earned over a certain amount. For example, if you earn between $37,001 and $90,000 between the 1st of July and the 30th of June, you pay $3,572 plus 32.5c for each $1 you earned over $37,000. There is also a tax-free threshold, which means people earning under $18,200 do not have to pay any personal income tax. The rows in the above table are called 'tax brackets'.

    Your payslip

    Your employer withholds a certain amount of your income for tax purposes. This deduction is called ‘PAYG’ on your payslip, which means ‘pay as you go’. PAYG is based on the ATO’s best guess of how much money you will earn across the full financial year. By estimating how much money you will earn, they can guess which tax bracket you will fit into at the end of the year. They can then ask employers to withhold an amount of income appropriate to that tax bracket, listed as 'PAYG' on your payslip.

    Tax returns

    You are required to submit a tax return at the end of each financial year, which is a document calculating your taxable income for that year. The ATO uses this to work out how much you earned throughout the financial year, and therefore how much you need to pay according to the tax brackets above. The appropriate amount is then taken from the portion of income that has been withheld as PAYG throughout the financial year. 

    Tax refunds

    As mentioned above, the ATO base the proportion of income withheld as PAYG on their best guess as to which tax bracket you’ll be in at the end of the financial year. They don't always get this right! If they guess you are in a higher tax bracket than you really end up being in, they may withhold too much money through PAYG. In that case, they will return some of the withheld money at the end of the financial year, in the form of a tax refund. This will automatically be transferred to your bank account after the ATO have processed your tax return.

    Deadlines

    You are required to submit your tax return at some point between the 30th of June and the 31st of October each financial year. If you do not lodge your tax return on time, the ATO may issue a financial penalty, or take legal action against you. Also, if you never lodge your tax return, you won’t get your tax refund, which can sometimes be a lot of money!

    Submitting your tax return online

    You can complete your tax return online through a website called myTax, or you can pay an accountant to do it. Submitting it online is usually the quickest and cheapest way. 

    1. If you don’t have a myGov account, go to my.gov.au and click on ‘Create an account,’ then follow the prompts. 

    2. Once you have a myGov account, login at my.gov.au and check to see if ‘Australian Taxation Office’ is listed under ‘Your services’. If it isn’t there, move on to step 3 to learn how to link the ATO to your myGov account. If 'Australian Taxation Office' is there, click on it and skip to step 4.



    3. To link your myGov account to the ATO, click on ‘Services’ at the top, then scroll down to the heading ‘Link a service’. Next, click on ‘Australian Taxation Office’ and follow the prompts. You will need your Tax File Number (TFN) to proceed.

      This video takes you through steps 1 to 3, explaining how to create a myGov account and link it to the ATO:
      Playing time: 3.57



      How to create a myGov account and link to the ATO

    4. If it is time for you to lodge your tax return, you will see a ‘Lodge’ button in the middle of the page. Click on this and follow the prompts to lodge your tax return. If you are looking to lodge an old tax return, scroll down, click on ‘Manage tax returns,’ click on ‘Not lodged,’ then select the tax return you would like to complete.

      This video takes you through the whole online tax return process:

      Playing time: 3.08



      A quick demonstration of lodging with myTax

    What to do if you are having trouble with your tax return

    Some of the questions asked during the online lodgement process can be pretty technical, so the ATO offer a free service called Tax Help, where you can ask for advice on how to fill out your online tax return. You can access Tax Help by calling 13 28 61, or visiting ato.gov.au/taxhelp. 

    Here's a short video introducing Tax Help:

    Playing time: 0.21



    About the tax help program

    Hiring someone else to do your tax return

    If you are running your own business, your tax return may be more complicated, in which case you are not eligible for Tax Help. In this case, you have the option of employing a tax accountant to lodge your tax return for you. Usually they will take a small fee plus a percentage of your tax refund, if you get one. You can find a suitable tax accountant by Googling key words like ‘tax return accountant'. Be sure to research their fees thoroughly before employing them!

    QUIZ

    When you've finished going through the above material, try doing the Personal income tax quiz to test your knowledge!

  • Superannuation

    Not published to students
    Current

    What is superannuation?

    Superannuation, or ‘super’ for short, is a system where your employer contributes money to a fund which you can access when you retire. In Australia, you can retire whenever you like, but you can only access your super from the age of 60, and you only become eligible for the age pension at 67. Super ensures that you'll have an income stream when you retire.

    In this video, Australian comedian Kitty Flanagan explains why superannuation is so important, and she talks us through her proposal for an alternate system. Note that some people may find elements of this video offensive!

    Playing time: 5.17

    Your payslip

    The Australian super guarantee means that employers are required to contribute a minimum of 9.5% of your income to your super fund. The plan is to raise this to 12% by 2025. You can see the contribution on each payslip. If you don’t nominate a super fund when you get a new job, your employer will choose one for you. 

    Choosing a super fund

    There are hundreds of Australian super funds to choose from, so the choice can be a bit overwhelming. It’s important to pick the right fund for you, however, because small differences can become big ones over the years, resulting in different outcomes at retirement.

    'A 1% difference in fees may not sound like much, but over 40 years can mean a difference of about 19% in your final super balance. For example, if your annual income is $50,000, you could end up with $366,000 in today's dollars compared $299,000 after 40 years, a difference of $67,000 (or 18.3%).'
    Source: https://www.moneysmart.gov.au/tools-and-resources/publications/factsheet-choosing-a-super-fund

    The main considerations when choosing a super fund are investment options, investment performance, and fees.

    Investment options
    Super funds invest your money to grow it gradually over the years. Most super funds will provide several investment options. Some investment options are more risky but have greater potential for growth, and others are less risky but more consistent. 

    Super funds will usually have a default investment option which provides a balance of safer assets and riskier growth assets. You can find out about a super fund’s investment options by looking on their website or calling them. MoneySmart recommend the following strategy:

    'If you are at least 10 years from retirement, you might consider choosing a higher growth option as you have time to ride out the ups and downs in the market. As you get closer to retirement, you might decide to reduce your level of risk, as preserving your capital will become more important.'
    Source: https://www.moneysmart.gov.au/superannuation-and-retirement/how-super-works/super-investment-options

    Investment performance
    When selecting a super fund, you will usually be able to find information about how their investments have performed over the past few years. MoneySmart recommend finding a fund which has performed well over the past five years rather than one which has just performed well recently, within the past year or so. When researching super investment performance, you will find it described as an annual percentage, which represents the return for that year. 

    four assorted-denomination banknotes

    Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/WrCdGBkXkTI

    Fees

      • Establishment fee - The cost to set up an account.
      • Contribution fee - A fee accompanying each contribution made to the account.
      • Withdrawal fee - A fee each time you make a withdrawal from the account.
      • Exit / termination fee - A fee for closing your account.
      • Admin fees - Ongoing fees for managing your account. Often an annual sum.
      • Investment fees - The cost of managing your investments. For some super funds, the investment fee is listed as an indirect cost ratio, which is a percentage of your super paid to a separate investment firm for managing your super investments.

    Here's a video about superannuation that covers some of the points above - it was made in 2015 but is still relevant with its content:

    Playing time: 6.33


    Super fund comparison activity
    Research super funds online and choose which one you think would be best for you. Post it on the Super comparison fund forum with a paragraph explaining why you chose it, what the fees are, and which investment option you would go with.

    There are a range of different super fund comparison websites which can help you choose a fund. Here are a few:

      • CanStar - CanStar evaluate each fund and award it a rating out of five stars.
      • Chant West - Chant West evaluate each fund and award it either a bronze, silver, or gold recommendation.
      • Morningstar - Morningstar provide a straightfoward outline of each fund's performance.
      • RateCity - RateCity compare funds based on fees and five-year investment performance. 

    You can read a more detailed account of how to choose a super fund here.

    The MoneySmart super fund calculator can also help you compare funds. It requires you to enter your annual income, which can be found by Googling the average annual income for your chosen profession in Australia.

    men's white crew-neck T-shirt

    This could be you, if you pick the right super fund! Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/nFsOlSE9Mn8

    Managing your super online

    Checking your super
    You can check your super online by logging into myGov.

    1. If you don’t have a myGov account, go to my.gov.au, click on ‘Create an account,’ and follow the prompts. 

    2. Once you have a myGov account, login at my.gov.au and check to see if ‘Australian Taxation Office’ is listed under ‘Your services’. If it isn’t there, move on to step 3 to learn how to link the ATO to your myGov account. If 'Australian Taxation Office' is there, click on it and skip to step 4.



    3. To link your myGov account to the ATO, click on ‘Services’ at the top, then scroll down to the heading ‘Link a service’. Next, click on ‘Australian Taxation Office’ and follow the prompts. You will need your Tax File Number (TFN) to proceed.

      This video takes you through steps 1 to 3, explaining how to create a myGov account and link it to the ATO:

      Playing time: 3.57



      How to create a myGov account and link it to the ATO

    4. Once you have logged into the ATO website through myGov, scroll down on the main page to see how much you have saved in super.


    Consolidating your super
    If you have multiple employers throughout your working life, it’s possible to end up with multiple super funds. The problem with this is that you are required to pay account fees for each fund, which can be unnecessarily expensive. It's therefore best to have a single fund, and if you find yourself with multiple funds, you can consolidate them into a single one. You can do this by clicking on ‘Consolidate super’ while logged into the ATO through myGov, as described above.


  • Insurance

    Not published to students
    Current

    What is insurance?

    Insurance
    Insurance is a way to protect yourself against financial loss. People pay insurance companies a regular fee under the agreement that the insurer will compensate them if they incur a financial loss.

    Types of insurance
    There are many different types of insurance, including life insurance, property insurance, travel insurance, disability insurance, burial insurance, kidnap and random insurance, and even terrorism insurance! We’ll ignore those, though, and focus on the ones you’re most likely to need - car insurance, and health insurance.

    Car insurance

    Car insurance protects you against financial loss involving your car. It's sometimes called ‘motor insurance,’ ‘vehicle insurance,’ or ‘auto insurance’.

    man standing beside white SUV near concrete road under blue sky at daytime

    Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/JtP_Dqtz6D8

    Compulsory third party insurance
    In Australia, each state has a different compulsory third party (CTP) insurance scheme. The costs of CTP insurance are included in your vehicle registration fee. 

    CTP insurance covers financial loss that might occur if you are at fault for harming another person in a car accident. These costs might include medical treatment for injuries sustained by the other person, as well as compensation for their loss of wages if they miss out on work.

    Other types of car insurance
    In addition to CTP, you have the option of buying the following types of car insurance from a private insurer:

      • Third party property - Covers damage caused by your car to another person’s property or vehicle. Does not cover damage caused to your own car.
      • Third party property, fire and theft - Covers damage caused by your car to another person’s property or vehicle. Also covers loss incurred if your car is stolen or catches fire.
      • Comprehensive - Covers damage to your own property and vehicle (including fire and theft) as well as damage to another person’s property or vehicle, regardless of whether you are at fault.
    The following table from MoneySmart provides a simple comparison:


    Source: https://www.moneysmart.gov.au/insurance/car-insurance

    This video provides a brief summary of the different types of car insurance:

    Playing time: 2.44

    Choosing a car insurance policy
    The cost of car insurance differs according to a range of factors including what sort of car you're looking to insure, where you park it, and how often you drive it. As such, prices are not usually listed upfront, and you need to provide some information in order to receive a personalised quote. Note that it's usually more expensive if you're a male or under the age of 25, because young men are statistically more likely to get into car crashes!

    When choosing a policy, you need to consider which of the above types you would like to buy - comprehensive, third party property, or third party property, fire and theft. You also need to consider premiums and excess

    Premiums
    Insurance premiums are the ongoing costs of insurance. These are regular payments which must be made regardless of whether you make an insurance claim.

    Excess
    Excess is the amount you need to pay if you make a claim. For example, if your policy has an excess of $600 and you claim $1,400 worth of damage after an accident, you need to pay $600, and the insurer will pay the remaining $800.

    What to do if you’re in a car accident
    If you're in a car accident and you have insurance, gather as much information as you can about what happened. Take photos of the damage using your phone, and file a police report if it's a particularly serious accident. When you've gathered as much information as possible, call your insurer and ask to make a claim.

    Car insurance activity
    Now that you've learned about car insurance, research different policies online and pick one to suit you. Answer the following questions on the Car insurance forum:

    1. What car insurance policy have you chosen?
    2. What type of insurance is it - comprehensive, third party property, or third party property, fire and theft?
    3. Why have you chosen that type of insurance?
    4. What are the premiums for your chosen policy?
    5. What is the excess for your chosen policy?

    You may want to use websites like CanStar which compare different car insurance policies. CanStar gives policies a rating out of five, but you can't see what their fees are, because fees depend on the details of your situation e.g. your age and where you live. There are other comparison websites which ask questions first and they can provide more specific information, but be warned that they might give you a phone call afterwards to sell you insurance policies!

    Health insurance

    Medicare
    Health insurers cover the cost of medical treatment. In Australia, we have Medicare, which is a universal health insurance scheme provided by the government. It's funded partly by the Medicare levy, which is a 2% income tax. 

    Medicare

    Source: https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/medicare

    Private health insurance
    Medicare covers the basics, but you have the option of buying additional health insurance from a private provider. 

    Choosing a private health insurance policy
    The first thing to consider when choosing a private health insurance policy is what you would like it to cover. There are two types of cover - hospital, and extras.

    Hospital - This covers in-hospital treatment such as surgery. Medicare cover treatment at public hospitals, but many private insurers also cover treatment at private hospitals. If you do not have private health insurance, you may be required to join a lengthy waiting list for certain types of treatment. On the other hand, if you have private health insurance, you may be able to receive treatment immediately at a private hospital.

    Extras - This covers ambulance call-outs. It also covers treatment from medical specialists, including:

      • Dentists
      • Optometrists
      • Physiotherapists

    When choosing insurance, consider whether you are likely to need out-of-hospital extras above, or whether you'd just like to get hospital cover.  

    Waiting periods
    One thing to consider when choosing a health insurance policy is the waiting period. The waiting period is the amount of time you need to wait between signing the insurance policy and making a claim. This prevents abuse of the service. For example, if someone falls seriously ill and needs expensive specialist treatment, they can't sign up for a new policy and have their treatment covered immediately. 

    Ambulance cover
    Medicare does not cover ambulance fees, so a single call-out can cost over $1,000 if you don't have ambulance cover!

    red vehicle in timelapse photography

    Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/vGu08RYjO-s

    Ambulance fees differ by state, with the state government in Queensland and Tasmania covering the full cost. Private health insurers in other states offer ambulance cover as an extra, but some state ambulance services also offer highly cost-effective subscription plans. 

      • ACT - Call-outs from the ACT Ambulance Service cost over $982, but they are free for pensioners.
      • NSW - State government pays for 49% of the fee from NSW Ambulance, though that leaves you to pay more than $287 per call-out. Some services are free for pensioners.
      • NT - Call-outs from St. John Ambulance cost from $360 to over $790, but they are free for pensioners.
      • QLD - State government pays for the full cost of an ambulance call-out from the Queensland Ambulance Service.
      • SA - A single call-out can cost over $1000, but SA Ambulance Service provide full annual cover for $87, and free cover for pensioners.
      • Tas - State government pays for the full cost of a call-out from Ambulance Tasmania.
      • Vic - A single call-out can cost over $1000, but Ambulance Victoria provide full annual cover for $48.35, and free cover for pensioners.
      • WA - St. John Ambulance charge between $482 and $986 per call-out, but pensioners receive them for free.

    Your options
    This video provides a short summary of your health care choices:

    Playing time: 3.08


    Health insurance activity
    Now that you've learned about private health insurance, make a post on the Health insurance forum answering the following questions:

    1. Do you plan on getting private health insurance? Why or why not?
    2. Regardless of your answer to question 1, complete the Australian government's PrivateHealth comparison tool to select a suitable policy. Explain why you've chosen that policy, with reference to:
    3. Hospital cover - What level of hospital cover might you want and why?
    4. Extras - What extras might you want and why?
    5. Ambulance cover - Would you want this or not, and why? If you do want ambulance cover, would it be better to get it from a private insurer, or the state ambulance service?
    6. Waiting period - What's the waiting period for your chosen policy?

    Business insurance

    If you decide to run your own business, there are a few other types of insurance you may wish to consider. 

    • Income protection - This insures you against loss of income in the event of personal accident or illness. 
    • Tool cover - If you use expensive professional equipment, this can insure you against its damage, loss, or theft. 
    • Workers compensation - If you employ people, you are legally required to buy workers compensation insurance. This covers you for losses incurred as a result of a workers compensation claim, which an employee may make if they suffer from a workplace-related injury or illness. 
    • Public liability - This insures you against compensation claims made for damage or injury caused to a person or property as a result of your work, as well as associated legal fees.
    • Professional indemnity - This covers claims made against you for breach of professional duty. It covers a wider range of claims than public liability insurance, including claims made against you for giving poor advice to clients. For example, somebody may make a claim against their lawyer for giving them legal advice that resulted in financial loss. Professional indemnity insurance can cover claims made against you for:
      • personal injury
      • property damage
      • financial loss
      • breach of copyright
      • breach of confidentiality
      • loss of data
      • defamation

    man doing welding on outdoors

    Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/sTw2KYpoujk

    Business insurance activity

    Once you have read the section on business insurance above, complete the Business insurance template and upload it to your Portfolio.

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    This is where we will post any additional readings or videos we find that may be relevant to this section.

    • Co-Creation Space

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      This is the place for you to upload any ideas or resources that you find that you think we should add to this section the next time we review it.  Thanks in advance!

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