Member Newsletter: October - December 2023

LeavePlus Loop

Your quarterly newsletter to keep LeavePlus members up to date with the latest developments and news from your construction industry portable long service leave Scheme.

Member Newsletter: October - December 2023

LeavePlus Loop

Your quarterly newsletter to keep LeavePlus members up to date with the latest developments and news from your construction industry long service leave Scheme.

LeavePlus Loop Newsletter

Made For Members

LeavePlus is proud to support members of the construction industry to take their well-earned break using their portable long service leave. You work in a demanding industry, so you're not just going to want a break, you're going to need one. Portable long service leave means you can take your leave with you and make use of that benefit when you need it most. This benefits you, your employer, and the industry as a whole with a workforce that's ready to go again after taking time out to recharge.

Checked your service lately?

Your employer reports your service every three months in their quarterly LeavePlus Return.
Your October-December 2023 service is due to be reported by your employer on 14 January 2024.

Have you checked that your July-September 2023 service is up to date?
Now is a great time to log in and check that all your service has been recorded correctly.

Checked your service lately?

Your employer reports your service every three months in their quarterly LeavePlus Return.
Your October-December 2023 service is due to be reported by your employer on 14 January 2024.

Have you checked that your all your service for Financial Year 2022-23 has been reported by your employer?
Now is a great time to log in and go through your FY22-23 Statement of Service in the LeavePlus Member Portal.

Your Questions Answered

Here are the most common questions that LeavePlus members are asking right now:

Protecting your profile with MFA

You asked:

How do I protect my LeavePlus member profile and set up Multi-Factor Authentication?

We answered:

Keeping your personal and private information safe online is more important than ever. That’s why we have now made Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) mandatory on all LeavePlus worker and sub-contractor member profiles. MFA provides an added layer of protection by requiring more than one factor to log in to the Member Portal (password + one time passcode via SMS). Hit the button below for instructions on how to set up your MFA.

Working while on long service leave

You asked:

Can I still work while I have claimed a long service leave entitlement with LeavePlus?

We answered:

LeavePlus strongly recommends that members utilise their long service leave to take a well-earned break so that they can come back to work recharged and revitalised. Long service leave benefit payments from LeavePlus are subject to tax and are intended to replace the income you get from your employer. Your taxable income for the year will be affected if you continue to work while claiming a long service leave benefit from LeavePlus.

Super during long service leave

You asked:

Does my employer still have to pay my Superannuation while I am on long service leave using my LeavePlus?

We answered:

As your employer is not making the long service leave payment to you, this will depend on your terms of employment (including any award or enterprise agreement). Some terms of employment include additional superannuation obligations for employers and that may include while on long service leave using LeavePlus. LeavePlus is not your employer and is not liable to pay your superannuation while you are on long service leave.

Fund hits $2 billion milestone

At the end of Financial Year 2022-2023 the balance sheet finally tipped over the $2 billion mark for the first time in the Fund's history, representing the strength of the construction industry's portable long service leave scheme.

This historic milestone figure has been achieved despite a year of economic uncertainty, both domestically and internationally. Your long service leave Scheme is supported by a multi-billion-dollar Fund, ensuring that your long service leave entitlement is ready to be paid to you when you need it most. The strong performance of the Fund is underpinned by a robust and responsible investment model which is designed to benefit all LeavePlus members.   

Humble beginnings

The Fund was first established in 1976 with a $100,000 government loan to cover the setup and operation of the Scheme.

Exponential growth

In 2016 the Fund hit the $1 billion mark for the first time. It took 40 years to grow the first billion dollars, and just seven years to grow the next billion dollars.

Financial Year 2022-2023 Review

Having recently held our Annual Beneficiaries meeting and published our Annual Report, we’re excited to share a glimpse of the incredible strides we’ve made in the past twelve months. 

Watch the video below to hear from CEO Craig Bell about our year’s achievements, challenges, and vision for the future.

Highlights include…
– Our exciting rebrand and new transformational strategic plan;
– Exceptional investment returns for the year despite inflation;
– The financial milestone that solidifies our position as Victoria’s largest worker entitlement scheme; and
– How we weathered the challenges of Victoria’s construction industry to deal with record-breaking demand from our members.

Our focus remains on continuing to support the long-term wellbeing of construction workers, ensuring the vitality of the construction industry.

6 Essential Apps For Summer Road Trips

Whether you’re planning on claiming your long service leave, taking time out on annual leave, or simply taking a long weekend to recharge – technology has made our lives a lot easier when it comes to planning for and taking a break.

Road-Trip-Ready

We’ve come up with a list of six of our favourite apps which will help you make the most of a local holiday in Victoria and our neighbouring states. The summer break is the perfect opportunity to leave the work-site behind and explore the amazing locations on our doorstep. Check out these apps to help get you road-trip-ready!

Hipcampp

Hipcamp

Key benefits:

Find a unique stay for tent camping, caravan sites, cabins, glamping and more

Why we love it:

A comprehensive resource for offbeat outdoor stays; book your perfect site and create camping memories with your crew. Hipcamp works with landowners to host nature lovers and road trippers, transforming under-utilised land and paddocks into a unique camping experience.

Anycamp

Anycamp

Standout features:

Find a campsite or caravan park with all your needs and book your stay within the app

Why we love it:

The filters in the app let you customise your search down to the fine detail. Looking for a powered glamping tent at a dog-friendly caravan park that has a swimming pool and jumping pillow for the kids? Anycamp's advanced search filters have you covered!

Camplify

Camplify

Best for:

Hiring a campervan, caravan, camper trailer, or motorhome directly from the owner

Why we love it:

If you want a camping road trip but fancy sleeping in something more robust than your tent, then Camplify is the app for you. Another app utilising the share economy, owners of camping vehicles list their vehicles for hire on the platform. Drive, tow, or even choose to have the vehicle delivered to where you want to camp.

AirBnb

AirBnB

Home from home:

Ideal for those who want to road trip whilst still having all the comforts of home

Why we love it:

No list of road-trip or holiday apps would be complete without the original sharing-economy accommodation platform. AirBnB is still the world's most popular app for short and long-term homestays and experiences, boasting a huge range of homes, apartments, villas, cottages, and cabins to hire for your trip.

Pack

PACK

Stress less | pack for success:

Take the stress out of planning and packing for any trip with this free app

Why we love it:

Create packing lists for individual trips, make categories for different list types, duplicate lists and even sync them with iCloud for use across different iOS devices. Tick your items off the list as you go and never forget your toothbrush ever again. The free version of the app has all the functionality you will need but you can also upgrade to pro for additional features.

VicEmergency

Vic Emergency

Safety first:

With prime bushfire conditions this summer, ensure you stay informed and protected.

Why we love it:

Whether you're staying in Victoria or passing through on the way to a neighbouring state, safety should always be the highest priority. The Vic Emergency app lets you add 'watch zones' so that you receive alerts and warnings for the areas you will be passing through or visiting. No road-tripper should leave home without this app this summer.

Features of the Scheme

Here's some features of the LeavePlus Scheme which you may not have been aware of...

Claims processing times

The run up to the Christmas holidays is a high-demand period for long service leave claims. Applications to claim long service leave received after 24 November 2023 are being processed for payment in early 2024.

Interstate service

Service which you have built up with any of our interstate partner Schemes can be used together with your LeavePlus service from Victoria when you apply to claim a long service leave benefit.

Approved break in service

LeavePlus members can bridge together two separate blocks of service if documentation is provided to prove you were working in construction during the break period.

Scheme coverage

If you perform more than five days of covered work in any month, your employer is legally required to report that service to LeavePlus. This includes construction, reconstruction, renovation, maintenance and installation.

Recent Google Reviews

Made a claim online – pretty straightforward. Had to email three pay slips, received a phone call updating me, and was all done in about two weeks. Pretty good I think.

Jason, leaveplus member

The help received by the staff was fantastic. I made few mistakes in my leave application and they were able to solve it in minutes. They are polite and courteous and understanding.

Angus, leaveplus member

CoINVEST Limited as Trustee for the Construction Industry Long Service Leave Fund (trading as LeavePlus) ABN: 35 078 004 985.

Want to see more from us?

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LeavePlus acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land where we work and live, and we pay our respects to Elders past and present.