Federal Court finding distinguishes employment class actions from commercial class actions
Secure Jobs, Better Pay Bill: Key Changes at a Glance
The Secure Jobs, Better Pay Bill (Bill) passed both Houses of Parliament and received Royal Assent in early December 2022.
The Bill amends the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (FW Act) to make changes across a wide range of areas including:
prohibiting sexual harassment in connection with work and introducing a sexual harassment dispute resolution process;
amendments to bargaining dispute provisions, including the introduction of intractable bargaining declarations and changes to workplace determinations;
industrial action changes including in relation to protected industrial action;
changes to enterprise agreement termination;
simplifying the initiation of bargaining;
abolishing the ROC and ABCC;
sunsetting zombie agreements;
introducing expert panels;
changes to the enterprise agreement approval process and streamlining the ‘better off overall test’;
significant changes to multi-employer bargaining;
prohibiting pay secrecy clauses in employment contracts and requiring advertising to reflect accurate and lawful pay;
changing the objects of the FW Act and increasing the small claims jurisdiction to $100,000;
introducing a right to make flexible working requests and an associated dispute resolution process; and
prohibiting fixed term employment contracts unless certain exceptions apply.
Sladen Legal has developed an overview of the key changes to the FW Act, including information about the timing of commencement of the changes. Sladen Legal’s summary of the key changes and timing can be accessed at the link below.
Jasmine O'Brien
Principal
M +61 401 926 108 | T +61 3 9611 0149
E: jobrien@sladen.com.au
Katherine Dennis
Principal Lawyer
M +61 407 013 010 | T +61 3 9611 0151
E: kdennis@sladen.com.au
Stephan Hill
Lawyer
T +61 9611 0165
E shill@sladen.com.au
Costly Lesson for Employee’s Conduct – Vicarious Liability and Sexual Harassment
FWC grants out-of-time application delayed because of domestic violence
The Fair Work Commission (FWC) recently held that a general protections application submitted seven minutes late warranted an extension of time because of exceptional circumstances.
Flawed investigation results in reinstatement of training instructor who stared at colleague’s chest
Developments on the positive duty to prevent sexual harassment
The Federal Government has taken further steps to implement outstanding recommendations contained in the Respect@Work Report (the Report), which was initially published by the Sex Discrimination Commissioner (the Commissioner) in January 2020.
Hasty termination lands employer in hot water
Flight Attendant Reinstated After Employer’s Unfair Process
Employers will often refer on previous warnings to support of a decision to terminate the employee’s employment for misconduct. However, a recent case involving Virgin Australia is a reminder for employers to give employees the opportunity to respond to any reliance on former warnings before making a decision to terminate.
Refusal to comply with employer’s direction to return to the office found to be a valid reason for dismissal
Victoria to restrict non-disclosure agreements in workplace sexual harassment cases
Sacking Of Political Staffer By Email Deemed Unfair
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.
Failure to Attend Medical Examination Lawful Reason for Dismissal
Paid Family and Domestic Violence Leave Entitlement on the Radar
The Full Bench of the Fair Work Commission (FWC) recently came to a provisional view that there should be a modern award entitlement to 10 days of paid family and domestic violence (FDV) leave. The Full Bench’s provisional view may be accessed here.
Sladen Snippet - Key changes to super guarantee rates and thresholds from 1 July 2022
As discussed here, one of the key superannuation announcements in the May 2021 budget was the removal of the minimum $450 threshold for super guarantee purposes.
Sladen Snippet - you haven’t made super contributions on time – now what?
Super contributions payable to contractor plumber - a call for action for businesses
In the recent Australian Administrative Tribunal (AAT) decision of Trustee for Virdis Family Trust t/a Rickard Heating Pty Ltd v FC of T [2022] AATA 3, the AAT relied on the decision in Dental Corporation Pty Ltd v Moffet [2020] FCAFC 118 (Moffet) to find that a plumber who was engaged as a contractor was an employee for the purposes of the Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992 (SG Act).
Sladen Snippet – Mental Health and Wellbeing surcharge on businesses with more than $10 million wages
Sladen Snippet – TD 2021/D5 genuine disposal restrictions in employee share schemes
Penalty relief for employer super guarantee mistakes in the stapled default super fund regime
As part of the broader ‘Your Future, Your Super’ reforms, the concept of default ‘stapled super funds’ for employees will take effect from 1 November 2021. Where employees start work on or after 1 November 2021, and do not choose a super fund, most employers will have to check with the ATO if their employee has an account with an existing super fund, known as a ‘stapled super fund’, to pay the employee’s super guarantee into.