If your job has been affected by coronavirus

During the coronavirus pandemic, your employer may ask you to change how and where you do your job, including:

• increasing or reducing the number of hours you work
• changes to your rostered working hours
• working from home
• the type of work you do

Changes to how much and when you work

Your employer can ask you to work extra hours or change your rostered hours if the request is reasonable. They’ll have to let you know the details of the change and take your views into account.

It’s important to check your award, registered agreement, employment contract or workplace policies first. There may be rules around overtime and how many hours you can work.

If you have a permanent job (are employed full-time or part-time on an ongoing basis), your employer will usually need your agreement if they want to reduce your work hours.

Individual flexibility arrangements

You can choose to enter an individual flexibility arrangement if you, or your employer, want to make changes to your work that are different to the terms in your award or enterprise agreement.

This lets you change:

• working hours
• overtime rates
• penalty rates
• leave loading
• allowances

Both you and your employer will need to agree to any individual flexibility arrangement in writing. Don’t be pressured or forced to sign one. 

Working from home

The normal workplace, health and safety laws still apply if you’re working from home. Your employer is responsible for minimising your risks, which can include:

• guidance on workstation setup
• following good ergonomic practices
• regular communication
• continued access to any employee assistance program

Talk to your employer if you need any equipment to set up your home office in a safe and ergonomic way. Although they don’t have to supply or pay for any equipment, your employer may be willing to loan it to you for the short term. 

If you do need to buy home office equipment yourself, you can usually claim the expenses associated with a home office when you complete your income tax.

If you’re asked to work from home and are experiencing family or domestic violence

If it isn’t safe for you to work from home due to the impact of family or domestic violence, you’re legally allowed to:

• take unpaid family and domestic violence leave
• request flexible working arrangements
• take paid or unpaid sick or carer’s leave, in some situations

When working from home isn’t possible

If you need to go into work to do your job, your employer is legally responsible for managing the risk of coronavirus in the workplace.  

This can include:

• creating barriers to enforce social distancing rules
• promoting good hygiene
• cleaning surfaces and high traffic areas more often
• changing rosters to reduce the number of staff working at any one time

You have the right to stop or refuse to carry out work if you’re concerned that it’s a serious risk to your health and safety.

Talk to your employer or health and safety representative about any safety concerns you have.

You may need to take leave from your work as a result of coronavirus. There are paid and unpaid leave options, depending on your situation. 

If you have to self-isolate or quarantine

Your employer doesn’t have to pay you if you can’t work because you need to self-isolate or quarantine.

You can talk to them about your options, including:

• working from home or from another location
• taking sick leave
• taking annual leave
• taking paid or unpaid pandemic leave
• taking any other leave available, such as long service leave 

You may be able to get the Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment if you live in NSW and:

• are directed to self-isolate or quarantine by NSW Health, and
• you don’t receive any income or income support payments during this time

Find out more about the Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment in Section 2: Get financial support.

If you or a family member is sick with coronavirus

If you work full-time or part-time, you can take:

• paid sick leave if you can’t work because you’re sick with coronavirus
• paid carer’s leave to look after a family or household member who's sick with coronavirus
• 2 days of unpaid carer’s leave each time a family or household member is sick, if you've used all your paid carer's leave

Casual employees can take 2 days of unpaid carer’s leave each time a family or household member is sick.

Your employer may ask for a medical certificate as proof of the illness if you’re taking sick or carer’s leave.

You’re protected from losing your job if you’re away from work temporarily due to illness, including with coronavirus.

If you caught coronavirus at work

Talk to your employer as soon as possible if you have coronavirus and think you caught it at work, as you may be able to claim workers compensation. 

For workers in industries with a higher risk of exposure, it will be presumed that you caught coronavirus through your job, unless it can be proven otherwise.

In most other cases, you’ll need to prove that your work activities were the main contributing factor in getting coronavirus.

To make a claim, you’ll need:

• a certificate of capacity from your doctor to prove your diagnosis 
• information from your employer and doctor that shows your job was the main contributing factor in catching coronavirus

If your child’s school or childcare centre is closed

Full-time and part-time workers can take paid carer’s leave to look after a family member because of an unexpected emergency.

This includes if your child’s school or childcare centre temporarily closes on short notice due to coronavirus concerns. 

All employees, including casuals, can take 2 days of unpaid carer’s leave for each unexpected emergency. Those who work full-time and part-time must have used their paid carer’s leave first. 

Your employer may ask for proof of the unexpected emergency if you're claiming paid or unpaid carer’s leave.

If your child’s school or childcare centre is closed for a longer period, talk to your employer about other options, including:

• working from home or other flexible working arrangements
• taking annual leave
• taking any other leave, such as long service leave

Pandemic leave

If you need to take leave due to the coronavirus pandemic, there are paid and unpaid pandemic leave options.

Your eligibility will depend on what industry award you are employed under.

Paid pandemic leave

Paid pandemic leave is available until 29 March 2021 for residential aged care workers covered by the Aged Care, Nurses and Health Professionals Awards who are:

• full time
• part time, or
• casual employees who’ve been employed on a regular and ongoing basis

If you’re unsure, you can check which award applies to you at the Fair Work Ombudsman.

Paid pandemic leave allows you to take up to 2 weeks of paid leave each time you can’t work because:

• you have to self-isolate or quarantine
• you’ve come into contact with a person suspected of having coronavirus, or
• of government or medical authority measures taken in response to coronavirus, such as closing an aged care facility

This leave doesn’t need to be accrued or pro-rated like normal leave, the full amount can be taken straight away.

To take paid pandemic leave, you’ll need to either already have been tested for coronavirus or get tested as soon as possible.

You cannot take paid pandemic leave if you:

• can take paid sick or carer’s leave instead
• are entitled to workers compensation from getting coronavirus

You're still employed if you take paid pandemic leave. It won't affect your paid or unpaid leave entitlements, such as accruing annual or sick leave.

You’re protected from losing your job or from any other adverse action from your employer if you’ve taken paid pandemic leave. 

Unpaid pandemic leave 

If you’re employed under one of the affected awards, you can take up to 2 weeks’ unpaid pandemic leave if you can’t work because:

• you have to self-isolate by the advice of government or medical authorities, or
• of measures taken by government or medical authorities in response to the pandemic, such as restricting non-essential businesses

You can check which award applies to you at the Fair Work Ombudsman.

This leave is available for full-time, part-time and casual workers. It doesn’t need to be accrued or pro-rated like normal leave, the full amount can be taken straight away. You may be able to take more than the 2 weeks if you and your employer both agree.

It can be taken even if you have paid leave available.

You can check at the Fair Work Ombudsman for:

• the list of awards where unpaid pandemic leave no longer applies
• the end date for awards where it's still in effect

You're still employed if you take unpaid pandemic leave. It won't affect your paid or unpaid leave entitlements, such as accruing annual or long service leave.

You’re protected from losing your job or from any other adverse action from your employer if you’ve taken unpaid pandemic leave.

Taking annual leave

If you’re employed under one of the affected awards, there have been temporary changes made so you can choose to take your annual leave at half pay, which doubles the time you can have off work. 

You and your employer have to both agree and confirm the annual leave arrangement in writing.

The leave needs to start before the date Schedule X stops operating in your award, but can finish after that date.

You can check at the Fair Work Ombudsman for:

• the list of awards where Schedule X no longer applies
• the end date for awards where it's still in effect

If you're on leave at half pay, you'll continue to accumulate annual leave and sick and carer’s leave as if you were on leave at full pay.

If your employer directs you to take annual leave

Your employer can direct you to take paid annual leave if the request is reasonable. They can do this:

• if the relevant award or enterprise agreement you are employed under allows it, or
• in certain situations, such as the business closing due to coronavirus

You can check which award applies to you at the Fair Work Ombudsman.

If you’re a casual employee or independent contractor

Casual employees are paid a higher rate of hourly pay instead of getting paid leave, so they usually won’t get paid if they don’t work.

They can take unpaid leave, including:

• 2 days of unpaid carer’s leave each time a family or household member is sick, injured, or if there's an unexpected emergency
• 2 days of unpaid compassionate leave each time a family or household member dies or suffers a life threatening illness or injury
• 5 days (in a 12-month period) of unpaid family and domestic violence leave
• unpaid community service leave

In most cases, independent contractors are not employees and don't get paid leave if they don’t work.

There are some exceptions, such as fixed term contractors and contract outworkers in the textile, clothing and footwear industry. 

JobKeeper is a subsidy for businesses affected by coronavirus (COVID-19) so they can keep paying their staff.

If your employer plans to claim the JobKeeper payment, they’ll:

• need to claim it for all eligible employees, they can’t decide who gets it
• let you know if they intend to claim this payment on your behalf

If you work more than one job, you can only claim the JobKeeper payment once, so you’ll have to choose which employer to do this through. 

JobKeeper directions and agreements

In certain situations, employers can direct their staff under the JobKeeper scheme to:

• work less hours than usual 
• stop working altogether
• change their work duties
• change their work hours

If your employer directs you to stand down by not working at all or by working less hours, they’ll still need to pay you either:

• the full JobKeeper payment, or 
• your usual pay for any hours worked, whichever is more

You’re still employed if you’re directed to stand down and you’ll continue to accrue your leave entitlements during this period. 

If you’re stood down and want to get another job, or take any formal training or professional development, you’ll need to get your employer’s permission.

If you have a JobKeeper concern or dispute

You can report illegal or concerning behaviour related to the JobKeeper payment to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

You can get help with a JobKeeper dispute at the Fair Work Commission.

Being stood down is not the same as losing your job. You’re still employed and continue to accrue your leave entitlements.

Your employer can stand you down either with or without pay. 

When you can be stood down

Under the Fair Work Act, you can be stood down without pay:

• if you can’t be usefully employed due to a stoppage of work, and 
• where the employer can’t reasonably be held responsible for the reason that work has stopped

This includes where:

• the government has directed the business to close 
• most of the workforce is in self-isolation or quarantine and the remaining staff can’t be usefully employed
• there’s a lack of supply

You generally can’t be stood down just because business is slow.

Enterprise agreements and employment contracts can have different or extra rules about when an employee can be stood down without pay.

Your rights during a stand down

If you want to get another job during a stand down, you’ll need to get your employer’s permission. 

Any existing restrictions on the work you can do as set out in your contract or workplace policies, such as not working for a competitor, will still apply.

You may be able to recover any unpaid wages if your employer has unlawfully stood you down without pay.

You can apply for help dealing with a stand down dispute at the Fair Work Commission.

A job can end in different ways. It can be made redundant, an employee can be dismissed or the business goes bankrupt.

Depending on the type of role and how employment ends, there are generally different rights and obligations related to:

• notice period
• final pay provisions
• redundancy entitlements
• if you're a visa holder

There are several government payments available for people whose jobs have been affected by the coronavirus.   

The type of payment you can get will depend on your situation, including whether you already receive support from Centrelink.  

JobSeeker payment

JobSeeker is a Federal Government payment, that can help people during the coronavirus who are: 

• unemployed 
• looking for work 
• sick or injured 
• prevented from studying

Eligibility requirements to get the JobSeeker payment have been eased. These changes are only temporary so it’s important you regularly check the eligibility requirements at Services Australia. 

There are 3 steps to take when applying for the JobSeeker payment: 

1. Check if JobSeeker is the right payment for your situation or if you’re entitled to any other type of payment 
    
2. Complete your registration to claim the JobSeeker payment. After you have registered, Centrelink will contact you about how to set up your online MyGov account so you can finalise your claim 
    
3. Finish your JobSeeker application online using your MyGov account. You’ll be given a link at the end of your application so you can track the progress of your claim online 

JobKeeper payment

The JobKeeper payment is to help businesses affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) keep paying their employee's wages and salaries. 

The payment is given to employers by the Australian Tax Office (ATO) who then pass it on to all eligible employees. 

Find out about how the JobKeeper payment works in Section 1: Know your rights at work. 

Coronavirus Supplement payment 

The Coronavirus Supplement is a taxable fortnightly payment for eligible people whose income has been affected by coronavirus.  

Payments started from late April 2020 and are planned to continue at a decreasing rate until 31 March 2021.

You’ll automatically receive the Coronavirus Supplement if you receive one of the following payments: 

• JobSeeker Payment 
• Partner Allowance 
• Widow Allowance 
• Youth Allowance 
• Austudy 
• ABSTUDY Living Allowance 
• Parenting Payment 
• Farm Household Allowance 
• Special Benefit 

Economic Support payment 

The Economic Support payment is a series of one-off payments for those who get one of the following:

• Age Pension
• Carer Allowance
• Carer Payment
• Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
• Disability Support Pension
• Double Orphan Pension
• Family Tax Benefit
• Pensioner Concession Card
• certain Department of Veterans' Affairs payments

The next Economic Support payment is $250 in March 2021 for those who get an eligible payment or have an eligible card on 26 February 2021.

You do not need to apply, as you'll be automatically paid.

It will not be available if you receive the Coronavirus Supplement payment.  

There are payments you may be able to get if you:

• have been directed to self-isolate or quarantine
• are looking after someone who has been directed to self-isolate or quarantine

The type of payment you can get will depend on your situation.

Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment – NSW

The Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment - NSW is for people who can't earn an income because they must self-isolate, quarantine or care for someone who has COVID-19.

To be eligible for this payment, you must be directed to self-isolate or quarantine by NSW Health.

It's a lump sum payment to help you during the 14 days you need to self-isolate, quarantine or care for someone.

Crisis Payment - National Health Emergency (COVID-19) 

The Crisis Payment - National Health Emergency (COVID-19) is a one-off payment if you’ve been impacted by coronavirus and you're:

• eligible for a Centrelink income support payment or ABSTUDY Living Allowance
• in severe financial hardship, and
• either required to be in self-isolation or quarantine or looking after someone required to be in self-isolation or quarantine

You're considered to be experiencing financial hardship, if you're:

• single and your finances total less than 2 weeks of the highest rate of your income support payment 
• part of a couple and your finances total less than 4 weeks of the highest rate of your income support payment

The amount is equal to a week’s pay at your existing income support payment rate. You can get a maximum of 2 crisis payment in a 6-month period.

Paid pandemic leave

Paid pandemic leave is available until 29 March 2021 for residential aged care workers covered by the Aged Care, Nurses and Health Professionals Awards who are:

• full time
• part time, or
• casual employees who’ve been employed on a regular and ongoing basis

If you’re unsure, you can check which award applies to you at the Fair Work Ombudsman.

Paid pandemic leave allows you to take up to 2 weeks of paid leave each time you can’t work because:

• you have to self-isolate or quarantine
• you’ve come into contact with a person suspected of having coronavirus, or
• of government or medical authority measures taken in response to coronavirus, such as closing an aged care facility

Pay rates for paid pandemic leave

This type of leave is worked out differently depending on your employment status.

Full-time employees

If you take paid pandemic leave, it will be paid at your base pay rate for your ordinary hours of work. It's calculated much the  same way as taking normal sick leave.

Part-time employees 

You'll be paid the higher of either:

• your agreed ordinary hours of work
• an average of your weekly ordinary hours of work for the previous 6 weeks

Casual employees 

Taking paid pandemic leave will be based on an average of your weekly pay over the previous 6 weeks. 

If you’ve been employed for less than 6 weeks, the pay needs to be based on an average of your weekly pay for the time you’ve been employed.

Find out more about your rights and responsibilities when taking paid pandemic leave in Section 1: Know your rights at work.

If you’re a business owner there is wide ranging financial support if your business has been impacted by coronavirus.

NSW Government small business stimulus package 

The small business stimulus package includes:

• a grant of up to $10,000 
• tax deferrals
• licence and permit waivers

Federal Government support for businesses

There is financial assistance and support for your business including:

• cash flow payments
• help to retain employees
• relief for financially distressed businesses
• investment incentive
• increasing the instant asset write-off

Business Connect 

Business Connect is a NSW Government program that provides advice to help you start or grow your small business. 

Free training is available to small business owners, if your business has been affected by the coronavirus. The training covers: 

• developing a customised recovery strategy 
• managing your cashflow 
• accessing finance including grants and loans 
• marketing your business to reach new customers

There is support available from your bank, energy company and across government to help you manage your ongoing payments and debt.

Energy costs

If you're having difficulty paying your utility bills, contact your energy retailer directly about setting up a hardship arrangement or payment plan. 

There are many rebates available to eligible customers that can help reduce energy bills, including electricity and gas rebates for: 

• retail customers (if you get your bill from an energy retailer) 
• on supply customers (if you get your energy bill or invoice from a strata manager or community/village operator)

No interest loans

Good Shepherd Microfinance is a faith based organisation that works with community organisations across Australia to provide people on low incomes with: 

• microfinance 
• financial programs 
• no interest loans 
• insurance policies 

If you need immediate financial assistance, you can apply for a no interest loan through the Good Shepherd finance program. These types of loans can help you manage expenses such as:

• fridges 
• washing machines  
• household furniture 
• education costs 
• medical bills

Financial Information Service

This is a free, confidential service where you can talk to a Financial Information Service Officer from the Federal Government about:

• financial products including superannuation and investments
• financial planners and how to use their advice 
• the benefit of reducing your debt
• how to increase your retirement income

Financial support

• guidance to help with paying council rates, bills and fines at Moneysmart   
• claim expenses if you're working from home during the coronavirus at the Australian Tax Office 
• learn how to plan and make a budget at Moneysmart

Financial counselling

• National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007 for free financial counselling  
• Financial Rights Legal Centre provides advice and advocacy for people in financial stress

Legal support

• Community Legal Centres NSW is a not for profit that provides legal and related services to people in NSW  
• LawAccess NSW or call 1300 888 529
• Legal Aid NSW

In response to coronavirus, a number of online short courses programs are now available. They offer practical skills and experiences across a range of industries. 

TAFE NSW

TAFE NSW has developed a number of fee-free online courses that can generally be completed in just days or weeks. Note that:

• eligibility requirements apply
• there is a limit of 2 free courses per person
• each short course requires various levels of commitment and time to complete

The free short courses are broadly divided across these categories:

• developing administration skills
• enhancing your digital impact
• growing health and medical knowledge
• improving leadership performance
• strengthening practical business skills

In addition to the free short courses, other subsidised training is also offered, including:

• mature-age scholarships
• certification level training
• Women in Business and other programs

University short courses

There are a range of online and on-campus university short courses available to help gain new skills or transition to a new career.

The courses:

• range from diplomas to graduate certificates 
• cover a large range of topics
• take up to 12 months to complete

Entry requirements vary for each course. If you need help with costs, you can apply to defer payment through the existing HECS-HELP program.

Open Universities Australia (OUA)

OUA is a collaboration between many Australian universities offering hundreds of degrees and single subjects online.

With potential disruption or downtime at work due to coronavirus, this could be an opportunity to:

• expand your existing knowledge base
• upskill to boost employment prospects
• undertake new studies for a possible career change

Many of the shorter courses can be completed in weeks, and you earn credits towards a degree.

There are specialist programs to help people gain the confidence and skills to help them shift to a new career.

Career Transition Assistance (CTA)

CTA is run by the Australian Government and is for people aged 45 and older to build skills and confidence when applying for jobs.

You register with a jobactive provider and work together to:

• identifying your goals and aspirations
• better understand the local job market and the skills needed for those roles
• gain confidence with using technology to search and apply for jobs

ParentsNext

ParentsNext helps parents return to the workforce after an extended period off work due to childcare duties.

Many parents in this situation can often feel worried that their absence from the workforce can make it harder to find new work, or that they lack the relevant skills and training to compete for jobs.

ParentsNext service providers can offer support and guidance with:

• childcare arrangements
• establishing return-to-work programs and study options
• locating employers offering child-friendly hours and flexible working conditions

In response to coronavirus, NSW’s adult and community education (ACE) providers have been given additional government funding to help them:

• update courses with a greater mix of online content
• develop their technical and teaching resources to improve online delivery

The community college sector has a unique focus during the pandemic on helping vulnerable students on a pathway to jobs by re-engaging them in learning and preparation for work.

Free IT courses online

The Australian Computer Society (ACS) has compiled a wide range of free online tech courses.

They're offered by Australian and overseas universities as well as learning academies from across the world in response to coronavirus.

Courses cover many topics, from digital transformation and coding to 3D game development, and are aimed at all levels of learning.

Some of the participating institutions include:

• Oracle University
• Microsoft Learn
• University of Queensland
• Skillsoft
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) OpenCourseware

Open Colleges is an Australian company providing online and face-to-face training and education services. 

Their online courses cover a wide range of workplaces and skills that help students retrain, change or take the next step in their careers. 

There are both certificate and diploma level courses plus nationally recognised qualifications offered across:

• health
• business
• trades
• childhood education
• technology
• design

Finding new or additional work during the pandemic can be more challenging because so many industries have either scaled back, closed or moved to a more remote way of working.

Whether you've lost your job, had your hours reduced or been directed to work from home, there are things you can do to get through this situation, including:

• understanding your workplace rights (see Section 1)
• assessing your financial position and any available entitlements (see Section 2)
• exploring retraining or upskilling options (see Section 3)
• finding a new job or additional work
• taking care of your mental and physical wellbeing (see Section 5)

Getting ready to rejoin the workforce after suddenly finding yourself unemployed, or if you're looking to change careers, can involve many tasks that you may be unfamiliar with. These could include:

• assessing how your current skills and experience might be applied to other jobs
• deciding on the type of job you’d like and the roles available
• finding where jobs are listed plus how to browse and filter your search
• writing a resume and preparing for an interview

What’s Next?

What’s Next? is run by the Australian Government and helps you decide what to do if you've been retrenched or you're looking for a new career.  It follows 3 steps:

1. Where do I stand? - help with navigating the retrenchment process as well as support options for all job seekers
    
2. Get your next job - tips on understanding your local jobs market and how to go about finding work
    
3. Try something new - information on education and retraining options as well as identifying transferable skills

Match existing skills with new jobs

Despite the uncertainty in the job market due to coronavirus, it’s important to understand how the skills and experiences you’ve gained in past jobs might set you up for new or different roles in the future.

Skills Match is an interactive online tool from Job Outlook. It helps identify how your existing skills can be transferred to new employment options.

It’s a 3-step process:

1. enter the jobs you’ve held, including any unpaid work
2. Skills Match then lists a broad selection of skills and expertise, broken down into various categories, associated with these past jobs
3. it then outlines a range of new job ideas that use similar skills for you to consider

Writing a resume and cover letter

A resume or CV and cover letter are your first opportunity to make a good impression with recruiters and employers.

Even if your work experience is limited, a poorly presented or badly written resume could make it more difficult to progress your application or even get an interview. 

This is especially so as employers and recruiters might be dealing with lots of applicants or inquiries as a result of workforce movements due to coronavirus.

The Australian Government's jobactive website has several resources, including:

• templates and suggested examples 
• a video demonstrating how to tailor your resume
• a find a job blog, which includes articles and other tips to help get your resume and cover letter in the best shape possible

Interviewing tips

Job interviews can be nerve wracking. Practising your interview technique beforehand can:

• help reduce any stress and anxiety
• boost your confidence of performing as well as you can
• highlight gaps in your knowledge so you can be as fully prepared as possible

Another important pre-interview task is to research the company you're looking to join. 

Doing so means you’ll have information to relate specific to the company and the role, which can show you have initiative and enthusiasm.

This could improve your chances of succeeding or at least advancing to the next stage of the recruitment process.

As for the interview, there are common questions that often arise. Prepare your answers in advance and practise out loud how you’d respond. Examples of general questions could cover:

• your experience - “Tell me about yourself” and “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”
• reasons for applying - “Why did you apply for this role?”
• career objectives - “Where do you see yourself in one/two/five years?”
• how you identified and managed a challenging situation (if applicable) - “Tell me about a problem you had at work and how you solved it.”

If you’ve been made redundant or temporarily stood down from your job as a result of coronavirus, there is the option to explore interim sources of income until something more permanent comes along.

Social media platforms like Facebook, Gumtree and Instagram are where many of these opportunities are being posted and shared.

Currently there are numerous short-term and casual vacancies for workers across a wide range of industries, including:

• healthcare, nursing, aged care, social work 
• call centre and customer service staff
• cleaning and workplace hygiene
• government office admin to help process extra welfare applications and payments
• packers and drivers for grocery stores and supermarkets 
• nannies and tutors
• Harvest Trail - connecting farmers with seasonal labourers
• mining and agriculture

Job search websites

Online job search websites like Seek, Career One, LinkedIn and others not only list vacancies but provide helpful advice on how to:

• search for jobs using keywords and filters
• set up job alerts
• create a profile or store a resume
• make working from home easier to manage

The Australian Government jobactive website and app also provides hints and tips to:

• help your job search
• make your resume and cover letter stand out

Company websites

If there are specific employers or companies you’d like to work for, visit the careers section of their website or one of their social media channels, like LinkedIn or Twitter.

Even if there are no suitable jobs advertised, you can often register your interest and preferences and be notified if a role that matches your criteria becomes available in the future.

Recruitment agencies

Employment or recruitment agencies are companies that match people to jobs. Some specialise in particular kinds of jobs or industries.

Visit their websites to search for available roles and other job finding resources. 

If there are no jobs that match your skills and experience you can often upload your resume or register an expression of interest.

Jobs in government

There is a wide range of jobs, careers, professional development options, as well as training and education opportunities offered across local, state and federal governments.

Jobs in government cover many business areas, including:

• business or community services
• communications, human resources and brand
• economic development and infrastructure
• science and the environment
• finance and treasury
• tourism and recreation

You can find general information, application checklists, vacancies and more resources for:

• Local government at the careers at council
• NSW State Government at I work for NSW
• the Commonwealth Government's jobactive and Jobs Hub

Gig or collaborative economy roles

When customers and service providers come together via a digital platform such as a website, or mobile app, this is called the collaborative economy. It’s often known as the gig economy.

People offering their services in the gig economy usually do so on a temporary or casual basis. They are sometimes known as contingent or on-demand workers.

That could be delivering a pizza or driving a person from their home to the airport. It could be a freelance copywriter supplying marketing material for a client's campaign. 

Ride-sharing service like Uber, OLA and Didi are examples of the gig economy. Other gig-type work includes:

• Airtasker, an online community peer-to-peer marketplace to outsource small jobs, find local services or hire flexible staff
• freelancing or business consulting roles across a range of industries
• hospitality and on-demand labour hire
• caregiver - taking care of the elderly, babysitting, or even pet sitting
• renting out a spare room or home on Airbnb

There is a range of government services, financial assistance packages and startup advisories to help you start your own business, including:

• NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment outlines what you need to start a business
• Service NSW is making it easier for you to do business with a free, dedicated Business Concierge
• Jobs for NSW provides grants and loans for startups and emerging businesses
• business.gov.au lists government funding and support programs from across government to help businesses grow

New Business Assistance

For individuals not in employment, education or training and interested in running their own business, the Australian Government offers New Business Assistance with NEIS.

The New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (NEIS) helps by providing eligible people with:

• accredited small business training
• mentoring and support programs
• financial support options

Volunteering provides a chance to take on new experiences as well as give something back to the wider community. 

This could be especially helpful with so many elderly people experiencing self isolation at home, many of whom may require medicine and meals to be delivered.

Your contribution can be part time, casual, or even full time. Other possible benefits of volunteering include:

• making new friends and contacts
• improved health and wellbeing
• the chance to rediscover a long-lost passion or hobby

An organisation like GoVolunteer has general information and lists of organisations that may have a shortage of volunteers due to coronavirus.

You can also search for a position based on keywords, your availability and location at the Centre of Volunteering.

Timebanking 

Timebanking is a community program where members exchange their services or skills for jobs needed to be done. It is free to join.

When you voluntarily perform a task for a member, you earn time credits. Later, you can then use those credits to receive services you’re interested in. It creates community connections through shared experiences.

For example, if you have computer or IT skills, you could:

• give an hour of time to someone needing this
• then use that hour of ‘credit’ to have someone help you move furniture or fix your pushbike