Yet more changes are ahead for employers as key elements of the Federal Labor Government's Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing the Loopholes No 2) Act 2024 (the Act) take effect on 26 August 2024....more
The Federal Labor Government (Government) has completed its third tranche of workplace relations reform with the recent passage through Federal Parliament of its Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes No. 2) Bill...more
It is worth noting that under the original timetable of the Hon Tony Burke MP for the Closing Loopholes Bill, it would have been passed as law this week....more
CASUAL CONVERSION – TIME TO BE READY TO MAKE OFFERS - Earlier this year, the Australian Federal government introduced broad changes to laws relating to casual employment which included a requirement for employers to offer...more
MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR - In this edition of the Update, we report on the exposure draft of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Taxation and Superannuation Guarantee Integrity Measures) Bill 2018. We then consider a decision of...more
Employers are finding it harder to successfully negotiate changes to long term (and often expensive) benefits provided by enterprise agreements. In situations where economic circumstances dictate a need to reduce labour...more
In this construction update, we look at some recent developments in relation to the Code for Tendering and Performance of Building Work 2016 (Code) and the race to achieve Code compliance before 1 September 2017. We also...more
What does an employer do when it decides that it cannot afford to continue to employ an employee at his or her current remuneration? A recent case of the Fair Work Commission has determined that these circumstances do not...more
The full bench of the Fair Work Commission’s decision to reduce the penalty rates payable under awards covering employees in the Retail and Hospitality industries has sparked a furore of political and media...more
MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR - In this edition of the Update, we discuss two significant developments that are likely to have far-reaching impacts for employers and employees across Australia. First, we discuss the proposed...more
In August 2016, workers at Anglo Amercian's German Creek coal mine in Central Queensland engaged in a protracted period of industrial action during bargaining negotiations for a new enterprise agreement. In order for mining...more
* Well, not really…but we got your attention! And the heading is not as misleading as you might think… Of course, the general protections provisions in the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (FW Act), and in particular, the...more
A recent decision of the Full Bench in AMWU v Donau Pty Ltd [2016] FWCFB 3075 (Donau) has held that a permanent employee's initial regular and systematic casual employment will now be included in their service period for...more
A company is in protracted negotiations with its workforce and the union representing its employees in an effort to finalise a new enterprise agreement. The gridlock has had the consequence of employees organising themselves...more
Employers should be alert to the threshold changes which come into effect on Friday 1 July 2016 when the 2016/17 financial year commences in Australia. Below we provide a summary of the changes and what they mean in...more
In 1993, the Keating government passed laws to move Australia towards a “system based primarily on bargaining at the workplace, with much less reliance on arbitration at the apex” (Laurie Brereton MP, Minister for Industrial...more
Project contract goes out to tender. Contract is awarded. Contractor hires employees for contract work. Project comes to an end and contractor employees are terminated. It’s the circle of contractor life and a scenario we are...more
The Full Court of the Federal Court (Court) has handed down its decision in Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union v John Holland Pty Ltd [2015] FCAFC 16 (24 February 2015) which clarifies the approval process for...more