Qantas has just stood down 20,000 staff😵

A Qantas plane taxies along a runway in overcast conditions while passengers seated inside watch on.

Qantas has told staff they can apply for unemployment benefits or other work and keep their jobs.

Qantas and Jetstar's decision to temporarily stand down two-thirds of their employees has once again sparked questions over how workplaces can respond to the worsening coronavirus pandemic.

Qantas has said it needs to stand down most of its 30,000 employees from late March until at least the end of May in order to preserve as many jobs as possible.

The decision, according to workplace relations law professor Anthony Forsyth from RMIT, could soon be taken by other businesses.

So we asked him what it could mean for casual, part-time and permanent employees.

Source:abc news Australia