Workplace relations team demystifies latest round of proposed IR changes

September 13, 2023

Hundreds of people attended an Ai Group webinar last week to find out how the Federal Government’s third tranche of proposed industrial relations changes will affect business and industry.  The online briefing provided key insights into the major elements of... Read more

How to prepare for gender pay gap deadline

August 18, 2023

Practical steps to prepare businesses for the publication of employer gender pay gaps from early next year were revealed at an Ai Group webinar last week.  Employers are being urged to start now to meet the deadline for new reporting... Read more

Creating Respect@Work and the release of new ‘positive duty’ guidelines

August 11, 2023

Creating respect in the workplace requires consideration and action from many parts of a business — beyond HR. The senior leadership team and Work Health and Safety (WHS) practitioners also have a role in preventing and responding to workplace sexual... Read more

Application to Vary the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010 – Travel Time

July 25, 2023

An employee has made an application to vary the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010 (SCHADS Award), such that it requires the payment of the extant vehicle allowance (clause 20.7 of the SCHADS Award) in respect... Read more

Fair Work Commission’s Aged Care Work Value Case – Stage 3

July 25, 2023

The Fair Work Commission (FWC) has been dealing with long-running proceedings concerning union claims for increasing the minimum wages of employees working in the aged care sector, who are covered by the Aged Care Award 2010, the Nurses Award 2020... Read more

The end of ‘tick and flick’ training? The importance of robust workplace policies & training

July 5, 2023

Businesses must ensure that their workplace behaviour policies are sound, and employees are adequately trained in appropriate workplace behaviour. This follows recent warnings from the Fair Work Commission (FWC) that commonly utilised online, self-taught and 'tick and flick' training lacks the... Read more

The power of words – poor drafting of enterprise agreement results in unintended financial consequences

June 16, 2023

A recent Decision of the Fair Work Commission has highlighted the importance of careful drafting in enterprise agreements. In the matter of AWU v Visy Glass Operations (Australia) Pty Ltd T/A Visy Glass [2023] FWC 1379, employees were to receive a pay... Read more

Is now the time to make an enterprise agreement?

May 29, 2023

Less than two weeks[1] from now, significant changes to the enterprise bargaining provisions in the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (Fair Work Act) will commence. There is a common sentiment and theme to the enquiries among employers as this date grows nearer: “Is... Read more

Zombie agreement deadline approaching

May 17, 2023

The deadline for notifying employees their "zombie agreements” are being terminated is fast approaching. Zombie agreements — registered enterprise agreements pre-dating January 1, 2010 — will automatically cease to have effect from December 7, 2023, unless extended. Employers must give... Read more

When is an individual liable for a company’s breach?

May 11, 2023

Acting under a manager's instruction is no defence to a claim that an individual is liable as an accessory to their employer's breach, the Court found in Fair Work Ombudsman v DTF World Square Pty Ltd (in liq) (No 3) [2023] FCA... Read more