'Part-time flex' employment is being proposed in this week's IR omnibus bill, while other newly announced measures include a criminal offence of wage theft, and extending pandemic-related flexibilities.
The Victorian Government has announced a pilot scheme for paying casual workers personal leave, but employer representatives are sceptical. Also in this article, a roundup of recent underpayments news, and more.
An employer and its directors have failed to argue they have "suffered enough" after underpaying workers and shouldn't be fined for their Fair Work breaches.
The ACCC is appealing a ruling that cleared a workplace relations advisor of misleading conduct. Also in this article: 7-Eleven has backpaid $173 million to workers.
More than 50 employers self-reported underpaying employees in the past year, the Fair Work Ombudsman's annual report shows. Meanwhile unfair dismissal claims have spiked in the Fair Work Commission, and general protections claims are now more common than EA approval applications.
The Federal Circuit Court has awarded 48 former Macquarie Bank employees more than $1.3 million in compensation for underpayments, while describing their claim as "rapacious" with "an element of double dipping".
The CEO of an HR services provider who was sacked for serious misconduct is claiming her dismissal was unlawful adverse action. And IBM is backpaying its employees more than $12m after failing to ensure its annualised salary arrangements complied with all relevant modern awards.
Another employer has entered into a court-enforceable undertaking to avoid prosecution, backpaying more than $8 million to 1,238 workers, with more to come.
An employer and its two directors have been ordered to pay a worker more than $142k in penalties and unpaid wages, with the Federal Circuit Court labelling them "captains on what was a very poorly crewed vessel". In related news, another employer must pay a worker $78k.
An employer that required workers to turn up early for their shifts without payment and to "volunteer" for overtime has been fined $65k, with a tribunal describing its Fair Work Act breaches as brazen and reckless.
When an employer receives a complaint or becomes aware of a conduct issue, it's not always appropriate to go down a traditional disciplinary path. This HR Daily Premium Q&A will discuss alternative options and how to determine which is best in various circumstances.
Recent constructive dismissal claims highlight the risks involved in accepting a resignation from an employee who is experiencing mental health issues. Watch this Q&A to understand the rulings' implications for all employers.
