EVENT REMINDER

Event: 2 Day Seminar - Hosted and presented by ATHOC Southern
Running With Horses
Ride Free With Your New Knowledge
When: Tuesday 11th and Wednesday 12th November
Where: Nepean Country Club Resort  - Conference Facilities, Browns Road – Rosebud, Victoria

For more information contact the ATHOC office at info@athoc.com.au

Event: Australian Timeshare Industry Golf Open - Friday 27th February 2008
In Support of the ATHOC Foundation
This years tournament will see a capped team of 144 players tee off in an Ambrose event at the Lakelands Golf Course on the Gold Coast. The tournament will also feature a luncheon and presentation function where you can mingle with special guests and vie for the fantastic prizes.

For more information go the events area at www.athoc.com.au

Event: ATHOC Annual Conference – 13, 14 and 15th September 2009
Keep those dates free!

HOME GROWN: You Can Count on Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific

 When parent company Wyndham Worldwide announced the rollout of their common service culture initiative “Hospitality Starts with Me”, Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific’s HR team swung into action with a customised version of the global program. Created to improve customers’ lives - that’s anyone with whom we interact - Hospitality Starts With Me “is the very foundation of our business model” said Wyndham Worldwide Chairman and CEO, Steven Holmes. “Our goal is to create millions of brand ambassadors who are sharing their great Wyndham Worldwide experiences with their friends, families and co-workers. When a company moves from customer satisfaction to customer delight, retaining customers is easy.”

Four weeks and 108 training sessions later, Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific and its team of 28 trainers had rolled-out the program to more than 1200 staff throughout the region. And if feedback such as “great experience”, “good fun”, “great workshop” and “very professional” are any indication, then the programme has been a great success. “A service culture is incredibly important in modern business” said Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific CEO, Barry Robinson, “I am passionate about seeing a high level of service evident in everything we do, from answering phones in the call centre to welcoming people at our front desks, our service culture defines us more than anything else we do.”

Since the training concluded, the company has witnessed a resurgence of service. “There’s a renewed sense of hospitality and a re-energised focus on providing exceptional customer service experiences to everyone.”

Hospitality Starts with the Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific Ballarat Team (pictured).

HOME GROWN: ICE Team Get on BOARD

ICE Asia Pacific took the opportunity to get on board the Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Seas first trip for the 2008/9 Season.

Photo Top - Team from Virgin Airlines with Stuart and Roz Ockenden (right) taken for an upcoming Voyeur inflight magazine on board the Rhapsody of the Seas.

Photo Bottom - ICE Managers on ship -- L to R = Amy Pringle, Rachael Phipps, Nadene Cooper, Tania Blizzard, Amanda Avery

HOME GROWN: The new face of Korora Bay Village Resort

Korora Bay Village Resort at Coffs Harbour has recently undergone a facelift not just on the apartments but their entire corporate image. A new logo, marketing materials have now completed the

Korora Bay Village Resort has been undergoing some extensive refurbishment work in recent times and it is pleasing to report that all units will be internally refurbished by December 2008.  8 units on the southern end of the resort were refurbished in August and September 2008 and presently Unit 8 is under construction. 

The objective of the refurbishment was to meet the expectations of owners and of the many exchange guests we have visiting this property from all over the globe. The completion of this long standing project is a fabulous result for owners of Korora Bay Village as we now have an extremely marketable self rated 4 star resort both on the open market and on an exchange level.

In addition to the units being refurbished, the swimming pool area was also extensively refurbished which included renewed surface, new tiling, new pavers, new fencing and new pool furniture.  This area of the resort receives a great deal of traffic and is without a doubt the biggest attraction in the resort.  A music system has also been installed in the BBQ area overlooking the pool to further enhance the tropical holiday charm of the resort.

As part of the refurbishment strategy we have also re-branded the resort with a fresh new logo, marketing materials and new website. Please take the time to have a look at the new website which is www.kororabayvillage.com.au 

HOME GROWN: ATHOC Foundation funds gym for Currumbin kids

The Australian Timeshare and Holiday Ownership Council (ATHOC) Foundation have provided $15,000 for the installation of a gym at the Currumbin Community Special School.

Thanks to the donation from the ATHOC Foundation, Variety Queensland has provided much needed equipment for the school gym, including a Cybex LCX 425T Treadmill, Interlocking Rubber Gym Mats, and other gym equipment.

The ATHOC Foundation is pleased to fund this gym equipment for Currumbin Community Special School, and hope it will be enjoyed by the school’s special needs students for years to come. Previous ATHOC Industry Golf Day’s have funded the Variety Liberty Swing in the playground at the Cascade Gardens in Broadbeach, and the Snoezelen Room at Mudgeeraba State Special School.

Currumbin Community Special School Principal Jim O’Leary said, “This much needed gym equipment will provide physical exercise and development for the special needs students from Currumbin Community Special School. Our school provides an education for 72 students with high support needs and disabilities from the ages of 6 to 18.  We are absolutely thrilled to know ATHOC raised so much money at their annual golf day and we sincerely thank every single person involved in making this happen”.

Special thanks to the 2008 Platinum Golf Sponsors, Accor Vacation Club, Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific, Group RCI, and Interval International

HOME GROWN: Grand Mercure opens in Bowral

Accor Vacation Club's latest development, Grand Mercure
Apartments, has recently opened at Bowral, in the NSW Southern
Highlands. It is part of the Bowral Heritage Park residential community
development. The two-storey building houses 26 luxury apartments.

HOME GROWN: New face at AussieHost

AussieHost is a nationally recognised customer service training program that focuses on interpersonal communications, customer relations and service.  It builds personal, professional and community pride and inspires a greater commitment to providing better service.

The AussieHost mission is to create a culture of high quality customer service standards throughout Australia, while contributing to every Australian’s opportunity to achieve personal, professional and commercial significance.

AussieHost’s unique approach focuses not only on skill development, but on versatility, innovation, self reliance and self confidence. It ensures that the individual takes responsibility for their service delivery.

The content of the one day program covers the following topics:
What is quality customer service?
The importance of workplace and personal presentation
Excelling in telephone communications
Handling customer complaints and dissatisfaction
Who are your customers and how to best serve them

For more information on AussieHost or to find out when the next AussieHost workshop will be held in your region, visit www.qtic.com.au/aussiehost. One Step Further is also an accredited AussieHost Trainer.

WORLD AROUND US: TATOC Supports the new EU directive

The European Parliament has strengthened the rights of millions of consumers who buy timeshare holidays as part of efforts to crack down on rogue operators.
The 10.5 billion euro ($13.85 billion) timeshare sector employs 40,000 people and is already regulated under 1994 EU rules but they needed updating to take into account new products such as cruise boats and shorter contracts.

The re-sale or exchange of timeshare schemes was also not covered under the old rules. "With the new rules, traders will have to provide comprehensive pre-contractual information so that consumers can make an informed choice," EU Consumer Affairs Commissioner Meglena Kuneva told parliament. The new rules will extend to contracts of less than three years, moveable property such as canal boats and caravans, and long-term holiday products such as access to websites that offer big discounts on hotels, flights and rental cars. "Consumers encounter significantly more problems with these unregulated products, in particular the discounted holiday clubs," Kuneva said. British consumers make up nearly a third of all timeshare owners in the EU. British socialist deputy Arlene McCarthy said the new law would close many loopholes. "Consumers will now have the same rights from Varna on the Black Sea to Valencia on the Costa Blanca," McCarthy said.

Harry Taylor CEO of TATOC stated  “We as an organisation support and encourage any action which will assist the consumer in  receiving the correct and valid information they need in order to make an informed decision as to buying timeshare and also prevent the fraudulent practices which have so damaged the industry.”

WORLD AROUND US: First timeshare resort in Slovakia opens next year

The first timeshare property in Slovakia is the latest property to boost the resort portfolio of Interval International. Greenhill Skiing & Wellness Club is in Donovaly, a popular holiday location. With 40 apartments on completion, it is due to open in December 2009.

The developer is Greenhill Investment, a Slovakian company. Donovaly is part of Low Tatras National Park and one of the biggest ski resorts in the country. It is also renowned for its annual dogsled racing championships. While the resort is a first for Slovakia, Interval has affiliated four other properties in Eastern Europe in the past year, said Darren Ettridge, vice president, resort sales and service (Europe).
OTE Issue 21

GREEN NEWS: Major hotel group launches timeshare holiday club

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), in conjunction with its Holiday Inn business, has joined forces with Orange Lake Resorts in Florida to create a new timeshare brand – Holiday Inn Club Vacations.

The new venture will take off in December. The alliance allows IHG to enter the timeshare market through an exclusive licensing and marketing agreement. Orange Lake is owned by the Wilson family, founders of Holiday Inn, and will continue to own, operate and develop the Florida property as well as three smaller timeshare resorts in Florida, Vermont and Wisconsin.

IHG says the benefits to the Group include access to 120,000 timeshare owners who will be able to exchange vacation time into Holiday Inn properties. Chief executive Andy Cossett described the venture as “a launch-pad into a $10billion market without needing a significant investment”. In launching the club, IHG joins the ranks of other major hotel groups with timeshare interests, namely Wyndham, Hilton, Starwood, Marriott and Hyatt.

Orange Lake is the largest single-site timeshare resort in the world with 2,412 villas on a 1,400-acre site that includes four golf courses, seven swimming pools and an 80-acre lake for water sports. It is located next to the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. Based on the number of guest rooms, IHG ranks as the world’s largest hotel group. Through various subsidiaries, it owns, manages, leases or franchises over 4,000 hotels in close to 100 countries around the world. OTE Issue 21

       

BUSINESS: Workplace relations safety - An overview of the forward with fairness changes

The Federal Government has recently announced further details regarding the impending workplace relations reforms. This article is intended to provide a brief overview of the key areas of reform. We will address the mechanics of the reforms in the coming weeks.

Fair Work Australia
The newly created Fair Work Australia (FWA) will be responsible for:
- determining national minimum wages
- ensuring compliance with laws and investigating and enforcing breaches
- reviewing modern awards every four years
- approving agreements
- determining unfair dismissal claims, and
- making orders on such issues as good faith bargaining and industrial action.

Specialist Fair Work Divisions will be created in the Federal Court and the Federal Magistrates Court to hear matters that arise under the new laws.

Unfair dismissal code
Work Choices introduced an exemption from unfair dismissal applicable to employees of businesses with fewer than 100 employees. This exemption has been removed under the proposed changes.

The proposed changes provide that employees of a ‘small business’ (meaning 15 employees or fewer) will only be able to bring an unfair dismissal claim after being employed for at least 12 months (extending Work Choices’ six month qualifying period).

Following a period of 12 months, an employer must follow the Fair Dismissal Code for Small Business which requires:
- a warning regarding the employee’s conduct or capacity to perform their job, and
- the employee to be provided with a reasonable opportunity to improve their performance.

An employee is now required to bring an unfair dismissal application within seven days (as opposed to 21 days under Work Choices) of the dismissal to Fair Work Australia. If an employee is made redundant, there will be no unfair dismissal avenue.

The changes to unfair dismissal laws have been brought forward six months, now commencing 1 July 2009.

Multi-employer bargaining for low income earners
Low paid workers such as those in industries like child care, community work, security and cleaning may be able to bargain on a multi-employer basis. This means that a union representative can apply to Fair Work Australia for entry into a ‘low paid stream’ and bargain with specified employers. Fair Work Australia can then consider a range of factors to determine whether bargaining is in the public interest.

Collective bargaining
The changes to workplace bargaining will mean a new bargaining system where employers and employees will be required to bargain ‘in good faith for a mutually acceptable outcome’. The commencement date for these changes has also been brought forward six months, now commencing 1 July 2009.

Key features of the ‘good faith’ bargaining notion include:
- the removal of the rules regarding prohibited content
- the ability for parties to bargain over a wide range of content - the agreement will be able to include matters such as salary sacrifice arrangements, health insurance, child care and payroll deductions if union dues, and
- compulsory arbitration being only available in exceptional circumstances - where a dispute is protracted and causing significant harm to the relevant employer and employees.

Fair Work Australia will be given the power to make ‘good faith bargaining orders’ which can direct parties to:
- meet
- disclose relevant information
- consider proposals and respond to them, and
- refrain from unfair or capricious conduct.

Protected industrial action remains available to employees and employers during enterprise bargaining. However, secret ballot approval is still required.

If an employee engages in protected industrial action, an employer is only required to withhold an amount of pay equivalent to the time the employee engaged in such action, which is a departure from the current arrangement requiring an employer to withhold a minimum of four hours pay.

Additionally, employers will only be able to lockout employees who have already taken industrial action.

Default rules for employees not covered by awards
Modern awards and the National Employment Standards (NES) are intended to form the foundation of the Government’s new safety net. For employees who will not be covered by a modern award (and were historically regulated by awards), a modern award will be created to provide minimum entitlements to those employees.
For further information on modern awards and the NES, see our focus dated 27 June 2008 or contact our Workplace Relations and Safety Group.

Modern awards will not apply to employees with guaranteed annual earnings of more than $100,000 (indexed annually and pro-rata for part-time). Such employees can agree on terms to supplement the NES.

The NES applies to all employees regardless of award coverage. Similarly, the following default rules apply to all employees to ensure the NES operates effectively:

- defining which shift workers are entitled to an extra week’s annual leave
- defining ‘ordinary hours of work’
- allowing averaging of working hours, by written agreement, over a maximum of six months
- allowing cashing out of annual leave by agreement, provided employee retains at least four weeks leave
- allowing agreement between employer and employee about when and how paid annual leave may be taken
- allowing employers to give reasonable directions about the taking of paid annual leave by an employee, and
- allowing the substitution of public holidays by agreement.

Commencement
The remainder of the workplace relations reforms will commence, as scheduled, on 1 January 2010. McCullough and Robertson Lawyers E-News– October 08