With IR reform discussions now underway, a workplace lawyer has called for a "reawakening" of some older practices as an alternative to simplifying modern awards.
Many employers are now preparing or transitioning back to workplaces, and this has given rise to questions around managing employee pushback, safety obligations and liabilities, long-term flexibility, and more. Here, an employment lawyer answers some key questions.
An employer needn't wait for a potential crisis to materialise before taking action to protect its business, the Fair Work Commission has ruled, in accepting a redundancy prompted by early COVID-19 concerns was genuine.
A tribunal full bench has criticised a judge for failing to consider the domestic abuse implications of reinstating an employee who was sacked for stalking a colleague.
The industrial relations reform agenda outlined by the Federal Government "offers a lot of promise" if its unprecedented approach actually delivers outcomes, says a workplace lawyer.
The Fair Work Commission, in assessing what constitutes a stoppage of work and useful employment when standing down employees, has rejected a worker's claim that he shouldn't have been stood down because his role was still being performed.
A Fair Work Commission full bench has rejected another jurisdictional challenge by Qantas regarding a JobKeeper underpayment dispute. Meanwhile the Commission has reduced an employer's redundancy obligation to nil, accepting it had no capacity to pay.
All employers should consider putting in place a workplace s-xual harassment prevention plan, even though such plans are only expressly prescribed in one jurisdiction, according to a risk management expert.
Recent events have shone a spotlight on whistleblowing, placing employers firmly on notice that their response to a protected disclosure could be subject to intense scrutiny. Watch this webcast to understand the role HR plays in this challenging space.
