Making employment laws fit for purpose will require much more than "tweaks", and already there appears to be a lost opportunity for input beyond the "usual suspects" with entrenched views, an IR heavyweight says.
HR's challenges around remote and flexible working will continue to develop in 2021, while compliance is an area that "will come back with a vengeance", an employment lawyer says.
A redeployment offer that added nearly two hours to an employee's daily commute was reasonable, the Fair Work Commission has ruled in reducing his redundancy pay. Also in this article: a roundup of recent dismissal cases; and other compliance developments.
The Fair Work Commission has handed down important rulings for employers on calculating overtime rates for casual employees, and what constitutes regular and systematic employment.
Workers' compensation schemes should fund treatment and rehabilitation for all mental-health-related claims for up to six months, regardless of liability, a major report recommends.
The JobMaker hiring credit will create "bad jobs", a Senate committee has been warned. Meanwhile a tech employer expects its new, global 'virtual first' work policy to open up much broader talent pools.
With no signs of the #metoo movement slowing down, high-profile s-xual harassment cases continue to shine a spotlight on employers' inactions and failings in this area. This webcast discusses legislative and policy developments, investigating allegations and responding to informal complaints, the pros and cons of mandating bystander action, and more.
Despite some "confusing" and "contentious" elements, employers and workers have commended the Fair Work Act's coronavirus provisions, saying they have been vital to keeping businesses afloat and jobs in place.
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.
Working groups have largely agreed on the problems with Australia's industrial relations system, but the solutions will require some compromise, IR Minister Christian Porter has flagged. Also in this article: JobKeeper 2.0 regulations; new rulings on workplace misconduct, contract breaches and investigations; and more.
General protections claims are the fastest-growing category of applications in the Fair Work Commission, with reforms now underway to stem the tide. This webinar will discuss important developments in both procedural issues and case law.