The Gold Coast Titans will access the Australian Government’s Job Keeper wage subsidies and the Queensland Government’s payroll tax concessions to support Club staff temporarily stood down during the COVID-19 pandemic and suspension of the 2020 NRL Telstra Premiership season.
From Monday 6 April, the Club will adjust its operational requirements, retaining a skeleton staff to keep the business functioning until the NRL season and normal business trading resume later in the year.
Announcing the temporary adjustment today, Titans Chief Executive Steve Mitchell said the move was a critical step in ensuring the Club would be ready to resume full-time operations when the NRL season restarted.
“Today is a difficult day in a lot of respects, but these decisions have been made to minimise the impact on our passionate and hard-working staff, and to bring further surety to the Titans as the NRL and the nation navigate these unchartered waters,” Mitchell said.
“The Club’s owners and board have delayed making this decision until all of the options were explored, and implications analysed.
“The Federal Government’s Job Keeper subsidy, and the support from the Queensland Government through Payroll Tax initiatives have enabled the Club to make this decision to ensure the impact on our staff is reduced as much as possible and ensure their jobs will be here to return to.
“Additional leave entitlements will also be available to staff, allowing them to subsidise the benefits being provided by the Australian Government.
“Every available avenue for support will be made available to our staff during this period to help them manage what is obviously a major and distressing time in their lives.
“But our staff know this situation is not unique to the Titans. They understand the turmoil that is going on at every club in the NRL, and in industries around the world.
“And while a stand-down period is painful, it is also temporary. We look forward to all of our staff reuniting to continue the NRL season in the near future.”
