Despite the COVID-19 workplace risks that can arise from employees' out-of-hours activity, there's very little employers can legally do to regulate it, a lawyer says.
An employer and individuals have been fined nearly $1m for underpaying workers; a bullied employee who was 'managed out' has been awarded $615k; Coles is facing a $150 million class action; and more.
Impacts of the Rossato v WorkPac case are likely to include both a loss of flexibility for employers if more casuals convert to permanency, and also a rise in the irregularity and unpredictability of work for those who don't, experts say.
The regulation introduced to protect employers from 'double-dipping' claims has "absolutely no utility" as a result of the Rossato v WorkPac ruling, an employment lawyer says.
The JobKeeper program will be reviewed next month to adjust for anomalies, misuse, and potential adjustment of its finish date, the Prime Minister has confirmed. Also in this article, the FWO slams big businesses' non-compliance with the FW Act; further changes to EA regulations; and more.
The Fair Work Commission has ruled it does have jurisdiction to deal with JobKeeper underpayment disputes, in rejecting an attempt by Qantas to throw out an employee's claim.
With the Federal Government urging a return to business as usual by July, employers have to consider some important questions about how they'll approach the transition, a workplace lawyer says.
The Fair Work Commission has rejected that an employee should be classified as part-time and eligible for JobKeeper because her employer intended to offer her a permanent role. Also in this article: an employer won't be able to make an employee's role redundant despite COVID-19 until after her discrimination claim is decided; whistleblower compliance risks falling by the wayside during the pandemic; and why more start-ups are engaging HR professionals.
Phasing out the JobKeeper scheme, rather than suddenly ending it, is one of several suggested measures to ensure a smooth labour market recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.
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.
