In March 2021, a construction company was ordered to pay $3,000 to a construction worker for discriminating against him on the basis of his age. As most employers are aware, it is ...

In the recent case of CFMEU v BHP Coal Pty Ltd [2022] FWC 81, a senior member of the Fair Work Commission (Commission) has decided that employers can require workers to provide ...

In a recent decision, the Fair Work Commission has declined the opportunity to exercise its powers under the new anti-sexual-harassment jurisdiction. Commencing on 11 November 2021 the Commission may make any order ...

Heath authorities have warned, and it is fast becoming clear, that the anxiety and isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic will have drastic consequences for the mental health of Australians. With the ...

In a recent case before the Fair Work Commission, a flight attendant’s employment came to an end due to her refusal to wear a face mask. The case of Watson v National ...

As the holiday season approaches, businesses and their employees are looking forward to relaxing together at work Christmas parties and celebrating the end of another challenging COVID-19 impacted year. However, the festive ...

As of November, company directors in Australia have been given deadlines to apply for Director Identification Numbers. Following recent amendments to the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (Corporations Act), the Australian Business Registry Services (ABRS) is now responsible for requiring every director of an Australian company or ...

Australian workforces have certainly not been immune to the impacts of global movements such as #MeToo and #TimesUp. In fact, a 2018 national inquiry (National Inquiry) undertaken into sexual harassment led by ...

The ‘Respect@Work’ provisions of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (FW Act) have been well publicised and have made the news for their establishment of a new, stop sexual harassment jurisdiction in ...

The Fair Work Ombudsman (Ombudsman) has more than doubled its use of compliance notices over the last 12 months. The watchdog reported that in the financial year of 2020 to 2021, it ...

Independent contractor and workplace consultant, Vitality Works Australia Pty Ltd (Vitality Works), and NSW government-owned corporation Sydney Water (Sydney Water), have each been held jointly liable for sexual harassment after displaying a ...

The key compliance date of 27 September 2021 for employers to meet new ‘casual conversion’ requirements is fast approaching. This is the deadline for compliance with the latest changes to the Fair ...

The Qantas Group (Qantas) has announced that it will require all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by 31 March 2022. For frontline staff, that date is even sooner, at 15 ...

In July this year, the Fair Work Commission halted an attempt by the Retail and Fast Food Workers’ Union (RAFFWU) to force Coles Supermarkets Australia to the bargaining table for a new ...

In June, the world’s largest meat producer, JBS Foods was targeted by a large scale cyberattack that caused it to suspend its operations across North American and Australia. While there was no ...

In a stark demonstration of the consequences of failing to properly meet work health and safety standards, a company director in Western Australia has become the first person to serve a prison ...

In late June, the Fair Work Commission (FWC) determined to vary the General Retail Industry Award 2020 (Retail Award) to, in its words, “resolve uncertainty” in how part-time employment operated under that ...

Parental leave (sometimes referred to as maternity or paternity leave) is an entitlement that will be accessed by a significant number of Australians throughout their working lives. However, it is also one ...

Over the last few years casual employment has received significant attention, first because of two major court cases which challenged the notion of what it means to be a casual, and then ...

Heath authorities have warned, and it is fast becoming clear, that the anxiety and isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic will have drastic consequences for the mental health of Australians. With the ...

Over the past decade, the ‘gig economy’ has fundamentally reshaped large sections of the economy, from professional services to transport, postal and warehousing. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reported that as ...

Employees with medical conditions can present unique challenges for employers. While businesses should, and often do, seek to provide equal opportunity for all, there are some cases where this is simply not ...

When it comes to buying or selling a business, there is no shortage of matters requiring your attention. From negotiations about the purchase price or stock-in-trade, making and receiving representations, or understanding ...

The union movement has put major retail brands on notice of supply chain disruptions as part of the wider effort to secure more advantageous working conditions for transport workers. In a speech ...

As of 27 March 2021, it is now enshrined in the Fair Work Act 2009 that casual employees will generally be able to accept or refuse work when it is offered. While ...

The CEO of Tesla may seem to live in a different world from the rest of us – rockets, driverless cars and all – but it sometimes helps to be reminded that ...

Yesterday evening, the Islamic holy month of Ramadan commenced, to end on the evening of 12 May 2021. During Ramadan, practicing Muslims will abstain from food or drink, including water, from sunrise ...