Advice needed: Full-time staff needing extended time off to recover from surgery

[QuokkaCoffee]

Cross-posting from the Super Seller Lounge and Food & Beverage Group!

Hiya, team!

I'm in a bit of an interesting bind at the moment:

My only full-time staff member needs extended time off to undergo surgery, which itself may require 6 - 8 weeks of post-op recovery time.

I've entrusted them with day to day operations and they're under contract for a set number of hours per week, but unfortunately haven't accrued the necessary leave to cover that much time away.

We were hoping to launch some new kitchen lines in the next few months, after having hired an extra hand to help with production, for a much-needed boost to our bottom line (and some breathing room).

I feel paralyzed by decisions and their various permutations:

1. We're in an okay place cashflow-wise to pay the bills, run payroll, and put a little away when tax time comes. Do I take out a loan to cover payroll for temp staff until permanent staff can bounce back?
2. Do I hit 'pause' on their contract and then 'play' when they're ready? Should I offer a small stipend to cover some basic expenses while they recover?
3. I know, based on extended conversations, that this is someone who essentially lives paycheck to paycheck and has dealt with chronic pain and the kind of mental health which comes with that territory. 

Even though they're required to work that set number of hours, on plenty of occasions I've sent them home early or closed shop to help manage said chronic pain and mental health.

I'm a bit frustrated at our limitations as a small business--if we were larger I feel like we'd have so much more leeway, but at the same time it's kind of freeing to write the playbook as we go.

Appreciate anyone's thoughts and suggestions!

Hope everyone's taking good care of themselves,

Kat

[Tom]

Hi Kat,

Thank you for sharing and sorry to hear about the challenges both your employee and your business face right now. I've gone through periods of time with chronic pain (two herniated discs in my back though I've found a way to manage). I give you huge props for your consideration and care. I'm going to tag in a few fellow Super Sellers in this group to see if they have any experience that may help, though anyone here is welcome to share. Sending positive vibes your way.

Hey @pigsnoseinn, @jjsmeatshak1, @TheRealChipA, @keicollective, @MJD, @jjgard, @dasap1234, @Greenmonkey65, @HC_Charlie, @RMConsultingLLC, and @JupiterGames,  — any experience or advice you're able to share within Pride in Business that might help @QuokkaCoffee navigate this situation?

[HC_Charlie]

@QuokkaCoffeeI'm so sorry you're in this position; I don't have employees so i don't have any first-hand experience in managing a personnel situation like this, but as a sole employee/owner of my business, I've had to struggle with running my business when my father had some major health issues last year and again a few months ago. I didn't have any employee to help fill the gap, so I had to put all plans on hold and close the shop for many hours a week. I understand how this can impact a business.

I'm not sure of the legal issues (if any) around employee leave and what is required; it's tough when you have a dedicated employee going through such a difficult time. I wonder if there is any kind of short term insurance that would cover the employee while they are recovering, although this kind of coverage probably needs to be initiated before an incident. The only other thing I can think of is if it would work to have the employee "borrow" sick days they have not yet earned, and then "pay them back" when they start working again (although this may not work if they are working paycheck to paycheck.

I hope you'll be able to find a good resolution for both you and your employee.

[keicollective]

Without going too far down the rabbit hole, I'd first read up on what you're legally required to provide them. I think this is the relevant info for you? https://business.gov.au/people/employees/employees-pay-leave-and-entitlements#:~:text=It%20is%2010%2.... 

After that, I'd look to see if the gov has any support offerings for your employee. Here in the States we have short term disability that someone can claim if they are off work for an extended time frame, but are otherwise able to work. 

I haven't had to use this at my current business, and I'm not totally sure what the AUS gov provides? So I'll give a backup suggestion! We had an employee who couldn't work on their feet for awhile, so we switched them from hourly pay to contract project based pay. We gave them small projects like data entry, website work, handling customer emails, marketing materials, and other things they could do at their own pace (instead of hourly) so that they could still recover in their own time. Each project had a dollar amount that they got paid for when complete. It didn't fully supplement their normal income with us, but it was a good middle ground that worked for our situation. (**I'd double check the legality of this in your area since laws can be different)