Almost one year into its two-year pilot, the Victorian Sick Pay Guarantee scheme has paid out more than one million hours of sick and carer’s leave to casual employees at a cost of more than $22 million.  The scheme is currently fully funded by the Victorian Government. 

Employees previously worked from home exclusively because of public health orders that prevented them from attending the office due to COVID-19. Following the lifting of restrictions, some businesses have returned to the physical office while others have adopted a hybrid work arrangement.

In the recent decision of Pierce Field v Department Of Finance [2022] FWC 1619 (24 June 2022), the Fair Work Commission (FWC) found that procedural deficiencies (including dismissal via email) and the denial of natural justice outweigh instances where dismissal could otherwise be considered valid.

A question frequently asked by employers is whether you can terminate the employment of an employee who is on long-term personal or sick leave.

Many office-based employees have been working from home due to COVID-19 restrictions. This has posed obvious logistical and operational challenges for many employers.

The Fair Work Commission’s Expert Panel has handed down its annual wage review ruling granting a 3% wage increase to the national minimum wage and all modern award minimum wages.

A Federal Election is anticipated in the first half of this year. If current opinion polls are to be believed there is a real possibility that the Government will change, which is likely to result in industrial relations reform. 

On 15 May 2018, the Long Service Leave Act 2018 (Vic) (Act) received Royal Assent by the Victorian Parliament. The Act will apply to all employees in Victoria, unless they are explicitly excluded.

Today, the Expert Panel for annual wage reviews (Panel) of the Fair Work Commission (Commission) has held that it is appropriate to increase the modern award minimum wages by 3.5 per cent. The national minimum wage (NMW) will now be $719.20 per week (that is, $18.93 per hour). The determinations and order giving effect to the Panel’s decision will come into operation on 1 July 2018.

In a recent Fair Work Commission decision, the Full Bench held five days’ unpaid leave per annum would be provided to all award-covered employees (including casuals) experiencing family and domestic violence.