The days are slowly getting shorter and cooler, which means that it must be Safety Seminar season once more! CTC have just wrapped our 18th seminar. I know. Someone get us a walking stick.
Just kidding. This is something we’re super proud of. We host these quarterly breakfasts because we’re a big believer in the whole spectrum of Workplace, Health and Safety and we’re doing our bit to give back to the industry.
Also, what can we say? We love a good bacon and egg slider.
This May, our seminar was on ‘Hidden Benefits for Construction Workers’ and we had a fantastic line-up of speakers from organisations like QLeave, BERT, BUSSQ, CBUS and CSQ. Whew. How many acronyms can you fit in one Safety Seminar?
They spoke about exciting things like portable long service leave, superannuation and funding. Although at first, they may not seem directly related to workplace health and safety, we would argue that these things are very important for your overall health and wellbeing – and judging by the turnout, plenty of people agree with us.
This topic is particularly pertinent for construction workers, who by necessity jump from multiple jobs, employers and projects throughout their career.
So … what were the key takeaways?
Portable Long Service Leave
Let’s be real – what’s the point of earning any money if you can’t spend it on a great holiday in the south of France? Or Vanuatu? Or even just to take some time off and binge the entire Game of Thrones series?
Well, lucky for you, QLeave is here to help. They have a scheme that allows workers in the building, construction and contract cleaning industries to continue earning long service leave benefits even if they change employers or move interstate. It’s founded on the idea of continuous service to the industry, rather than service to one particular employer.
There’s NO cost for workers or employers to be registered with QLeave, and as long as you keep your details up to date each year, you could be on a three-month holiday in Barcelona in ten years’ time! (Terms and conditions apply, of course).
Register here: https://www.qleave.qld.gov.au/about-us/our-organisation
Superannuation
Ahh, superannuation…. what’s that again? Very important, actually. Definitely, something you shouldn’t forget about.
But if you’re hopping from project to project, it can be easy to accidentally leave it behind. Or just…not worry about it.
I’m here to tell you: worry about it. And CBUS and BUSSQ are both here with me.
They’re two separate industry super funds for building and construction workers. They make it super easy to look after all of your super in one spot for you. They’ll help you decide:
- how you want to invest your money
- what insurance cover you need
- how to best plan for your retirement
- how to consolidate your super
Because they’re both industry funds, they know exactly what’s best for you and all profits go to members and invest directly back into the industry. Because you want to retire comfortably one day, you should check them out here: https://www.cbussuper.com.au/ OR https://www.bussq.com.au/.
Training
Our CEO Phil has a number of favourite sayings. One of them is “Did you watch ‘Married at First Sight’ last night?” Another one is “Invest in life-long learning”.
And this is where our good friend CSQ comes in. CSQ is an independent, not-for-profit, industry-funded body supporting employers, workers, apprentices and career seekers in the building and construction industry.
That’s a lot of words, so let’s cut to the chase: how can they help you?
Well, they can subside your training costs (for you and your team). They can connect you with RTOs. They can provide you the latest industry data to make sure you’re making informed decisions about your career.
Basically, they’re your best friend and you should definitely look into how exactly you can upskill and save some $$$ (think of that holiday you can plan with your new portable long service leave).
Look into it here: https://www.csq.org.au/.
Funding and Benefits
In the spirit of hidden benefits, we’ve got BERT up next: The Building Employees Redundancy Trust. It works kind of like superannuation: your employer will pay a fragment of money into the fund every payslip, so that if you find yourself in between jobs, you have a pool of money to use.
This is an industry trust that currently offers the following benefits:
- Income Protection
- Financial Planning
- Travel Insurance
- Child Care Benefit
- Dental Benefit
- Ambulance Cover
- Counselling/Converge
- MATES in Construction
- Funeral Benefit
- Work Injury Management Fund
Essentially, a lot of benefits. And how can you get them? You automatically become a member when your employer submits your details and pays your first contribution. Super easy.
You can find more info here: Safety Seminar: Hidden Benefits for Construction Workers
And there we have it. There are heaps of great schemes out to help you – it’s a good time to be a construction worker!
If you have any questions regarding this Safety Seminar, please do not hesitate to contact CTC. And keep your eyes peeled for the next one…we’ll be in touch!
Join Our Newsletter