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Life after JobKeeper: Managing staff in the event of lockdown
The end of the Federal Government’s JobKeeper program on 28 March 2021 saw with it the end of several legislative provisions which provided employers with crucial flexibilities to respond to an ever-shifting ...
Read more What businesses need to know about the new Fair Work amendments
Yesterday, the Fair Work Amendment (Supporting Australia’s Jobs and Economic Recovery) Bill 2021 was passed by both Houses of Parliament and will shortly enter into law. Yet despite strong support from businesses ...
Read more REMINDER: Upcoming changes to the Retail Award
As 2021 races by at an already alarming rate, NRA Legal takes this opportunity to remind members of several changes to the General Retail Industry Award 2020 (Retail Award) coming up in the ...
Read more Could there be a resurgence to enterprise bargaining in 2021?
It is an open secret that more and more businesses are breaking the cycle of enterprise bargaining. McDonald’s, Domino’s, and Bunnings after having bargained with their respective workforces over a number of ...
Read more Odd bedfellows for some: payroll compliance and the salaried employee
Given the extensive regulation that surrounds the minimum entitlements of employees in the Australian industrial relations system, it is still surprising how often businesses fall into the trap of “setting and forgetting” ...
Read more What Boards need to know about wage compliance
The introduction of the Fair Work Amendment (Supporting Australia’s Jobs and Economic Recovery) Bill 2020 into Federal Parliament late last year is likely to change the way that Boards of Directors respond ...
Read more Union right of entry in a post-COVID world
2020 may have been the year the world stood still, but life – and work – continued on for many, albeit changed forever. While laws to help governments respond to the pandemic ...
Read more On the record: Understanding the importance of record-keeping compliance
As the conversation around “wage theft” continues in the media and politics, the importance of award compliance remains at the forefront of employers’ minds. Key amongst basic obligations under the law that ...
Read more Summary of proposed reforms to the Fair Work Act
The Morrison Government introduced legislation last December proposing sweeping reforms of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (FW Act). The National Retail Association has long campaigned for and significantly contributed towards the development ...
Read more Morrison Government proposes sweeping Fair Work reforms
After a year that has been something of a hellish rollercoaster for many businesses, a light has appeared at the end of the tunnel with the Morrison Government announcing that it intends ...
Read more High Court challenge to powers of the Fair Work Commission
In what may well turn out to be the industrial relations equivalent of David versus Goliath, a former Coles employee is challenging the power of the Fair Work Commission (FWC) to dismiss ...
Read more Employment essentials: 7 simple steps for new franchisees
Joining a franchise network has always been a popular option for prospective business owners. The customer base is already established; marketing, supply chain logistics, and product development is taken care of by ...
Read more Notification nightmares: Social media missteps for employers to avoid
The advent of social media has transformed how we live, connect, and do business. Employers can now use social media to advertise, recruit and communicate with employees, and engage directly with customers. ...
Read more The $5.2 million question: employer hit with record adverse action order
The Federal Court has handed down what may well be the largest payout ever in an adverse action claim under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (FW Act), finding that a senior ...
Read more When do I need to notify WorkSafe of an incident in the workplace?
Over the past weeks, news has tragically emerged of two delivery riders who were fatally struck by vehicles days apart in Sydney. The incidents have sparked renewed calls for more consistent WHS ...
Read more Employer dodges conviction for child labour offences as regulator flexes muscles
In a stark sign of the times, the Victorian Wage Inspectorate (VWI) has claimed its first criminal prosecution under child labour laws, and emphasized that it stands ready, willing and unafraid to ...
Read more COVID Controversy: Obtaining pandemic-relevant information from employees
As businesses navigate the challenges of ensuring the health and safety of their customers and employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, they must be careful to avoid infringing upon the privacy of their ...
Read more Presumptuous payroll rules end in heavy penalties for employer
In a stern warning for employers who “automate” certain parts of their payroll processes, the South Australian Employment Tribunal (the Tribunal) has slammed an employer with significant penalties for automatically deducting unpaid ...
Read more Parliament passes JobKeeper 2.0
This afternoon, Parliament passed the Coronavirus Economic Response Package (Jobkeeper Payments) Amendment Bill 2020 which gives effect to the previously announced extension of the JobKeeper Payment Scheme until 28 March 2021. To continue participating in ...
Read more “Hopelessly cavalier”: Fair Work Commission cracks down on discriminatory redundancies
The Fair Work Commission has taken aim at a family-owned retail business and a financial services firm, both of whom restructured their operations after they were notified that two respective employees had ...
Read more The definitive guide to employee classification levels
One of the most common questions we are asked on the workplace relations hotline is how to correctly classify employees. In most cases, this is a fairly straight forward exercise, and it’s ...
Read more Transgender inclusion in the workplace
Seven years ago, on 1 August 2013, it became unlawful across all of Australia to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, and intersex status under the Sex Discrimination Act ...
Read more High Court confirms status quo on personal leave
On 13 August 2020, the High Court of Australia delivered its eagerly-awaited judgment in the case Mondelez Australia Pty Ltd v Automotive, Food, Metals, Engineering, Printing and Kindred Industries Union [2020] HCA 29 (Mondelez v ...
Read more Night on the town sinks compensation claim
Many employers offer their employees the opportunity to travel during their employment – whether to meet clients or customers, or to attend training, seminars, or conferences, and this is often considered a ...
Read more Important ‘stand down’ information for Victorian employers
From midnight on Wednesday, 5 August 2020, Victoria will enter Stage 4 restrictions and all non-essential retailers located in the Melbourne metropolitan area will be restricted to contactless ‘click and collect’ and ...
Read more Inquiry by a prospective employee not “protected” under Fair Work Act
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 ...
Read more JobKeeper extended to March 2021, but important changes are on the way
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 ...
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