Inquiry by a prospective employee not “protected” under Fair Work Act

By Rebecca Goulter
a photo showing a man in a suit holding a clipboard (with a document in it) and pen and showing it to a woman sitting opposite him. The pen he is holding is pointing to a section in the document.

In a fascinating case before the Federal Court of Australia, Justice Steward considered whether a prospective employee has a workplace right to make inquiries about their prospective employment. Such a question obviously has significant ramifications for how an employer conducts itself when negotiating contract terms with prospective employees. Case: Maric v Ericsson Australia Pty Ltd [2020] FCA…

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JobKeeper extended to March 2021, but important changes are on the way

By Rebecca Goulter
a close up photo of australian money - a ten dollar note, a twenty dollar note, a one hundred dollar note, a fifty dollar note, a two dollar coin and three one dollar coins.

Today, the Prime Minister announced that the JobKeeper package would be extended from 27 September 2020 until 28 March 2021. This news comes as welcome relief as businesses still struggle with uncertainty, particularly with the situation in Victoria demonstrating how quickly circumstances can change. There will, however, be changes to both the amount of the JobKeeper payments…

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FWC finds the limits to JobKeeper stand downs

By Rebecca Goulter
a close up photo of a simple calendar with red crosses over the majority of the dates

The Fair Work Commission has, for the first time in the short life of the JobKeeper jurisdiction, tested exactly how far a JobKeeper stand down direction can go in reducing an employee’s hours. In a decision handed down earlier this week, Deputy President Peter Anderson determined that the employer had gone too far in reducing…

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