+xOk guys, Little bit of a question im trying to help my mother with, ive sat on fair work for an hour to no avail and my workplace law knowledge actually doesn't exist and can't find anything specific but... here's the situation. My mother is 66, she works 15 hours a week in a drycleaners, she is CASUAL and has had the exact same hours for 13 years, picking up extract when she can. She has told her boss in writing that she is retiring in November. The boss has now employed a new person (also casual) to take over her hours and so my mother's hours have been tapered down where she will be losing more and more hours until November. Is this legal? I thought a casual worker over 65 had the right to carry on their hours until they retired, can anyone clarify? She was trying to do the right thing by the boss, rather than just saying in November "see ya!" Which she probably shouldve done. I have bugger all knowledge on workplace law either. My thoughts as a random bystander though: - has she had that same boss for 13 years? - that's a pretty shit way to treat an employee of over 10 years. - I reckon the Casual part is where it will get thru the laws etc. I feel like legally the employer will be covered. - Not morally though. - Just goes to show that the whole "treat others how you would like to be treated" is something that all humans need to pick up, not just the select few good ones like your mother. - Am I right in assuming working in an "unskilled" workplace and "only" working 15 hours a week that if she just retired now she wouldn't be worse off money wise, whether that be thru the dole or whatever? - Don't businesses get some tax positive by hiring people in your mothers age bracket now? If so, would it be "easy" for her to pick up similar hours elsewhere for a few months at a different place? I know it isn't obviously the ideal scenario for her but it seems like a pretty encouraging option to me. - I don't envy you or your mother at all. I'm currently having a bit of to-and-fro with Centrelink about something and it is a genuine nightmare. - Good luck with it pal.
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