A group of Queensland employers that told workers about an upcoming restructure, but excluded them from the decision-making process, breached the consultation obligations in 20 workplace agreements, the Federal Court has found, imposing maximum penalties.
Bargaining has been taking longer under the Fair Work Act, but if the economy becomes more robust, negotiations might do the same, says Freehills partner Chris Gardner.
Next time your organisation is defending an adverse action claim, it should think twice before deciding to settle, says Kemp Strang senior associate Nick Noonan.
When employers are convinced that a worker's claim against them is totally without merit, they should consider defending themselves "as a matter of principle", says Minter Ellison partner Richard West.
A novel union case against an individual director, accused of breaching the terms of an enterprise agreement, is ringing alarm bells for HR practitioners, but avoiding such a prosecution is relatively straightforward, says lawyer Luke Connolly.
Organisations in the process of updating employment contracts need to be aware of six potential traps that could land them in legal trouble, say Kemp Strang employment lawyers.
A worker has been denied compensation for a psychological injury after he failed to convince the Queensland Industrial Relations Court that a workplace investigation was not conducted in a "reasonable" way.
HR managers need to think carefully before modifying a worker's role or introducing new responsibilities, says FCB partner and director, Jessica Fisher.
The Federal Government's paid parental leave scheme is due to take effect on 1 January next year, but smart employers are preparing now in order to capitalise on its benefits, says special counsel for Freehills, Elizabeth Ferrier.
It is the way managers deal with employee complaints - rather than the subject of the complaints - that can trigger workers to launch legal claims, according to Hicksons workplace relations practice manager, Brad Swebeck.
Costly legal disputes continue to highlight the many risks employers face when managing, disciplining, or dismissing employees while they are absent, injured or incapacitated. Attend this webinar for an up-to-date review of the legal framework applying to workplace absenteeism, injury and incapacity, and lessons from recent case law.
