Employee share schemes — removing cessation of employment as a taxing point and reducing red tape
As part of the 2021-2022 Federal Budget, the Federal Government has announced reforms to employee share ownership in Australia, with those changes designed to make it easier for businesses to offer their employees participation in employee share schemes (ESS) and to help businesses attract and retain the talent they need to compete on a global […]
ReadmoreSexual harassment and obligations of employers – Part 2
This is the second instalment of a two-part series which canvasses workplace sexual harassment, who is most at risk and what Australian employers do to address sexual harassment in the workplace and limit their liability. Part 1 covered how workplace sexual harassment is defined and provided an overview of the relevant legislation and highlighted who […]
ReadmoreSexual harassment and obligations of employers – Part 1
This is the first instalment of a two-part series which canvasses workplace sexual harassment, who is most at risk and what Australian employers should do to address sexual harassment in the workplace and limit their liability. Introduction In 2020, the Australian Human Rights Commission (Commission) released the Respect@Work: Sexual Harassment National Inquiry Report (2020) (Report) […]
ReadmoreBarber v Goodstart – can employers now mandate vaccinations in the workplace?
In a much publicised decision of the Fair Work Commission (FWC) FWC, Bou-Jamie Barber v Goodstart Early Learning [2021] FWC 2156, the termination of a childcare worker who refused to take a flu shot has been upheld. However, while the decision provides some guidance on the issue of vaccinations in the workplace, the FWC cautioned […]
ReadmoreRespect@Work and future changes to Australia’s sexual harassment laws
The Federal government has today announced that all 55 recommendations contained in the landmark report, Respect@Work: National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces, are either agreed wholly, in part, or in principle, or are noted where they are directed to governments or organisations other than the Federal government. National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in […]
ReadmoreCasual IR reforms – A new frontier for employers
On 9 December 2020, the Attorney-General and Minister for Industrial Relations, Christian Porter introduced the Fair Work Amendment (Supporting Australia’s Jobs and Economic Recovery) Bill 2020 (IR Reform Bill) to Parliament, which sought to make significant reforms to the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (FW Act) and other related legislation. The IR Reform Bill was drafted following […]
ReadmoreImproving unpaid parental leave
Recent changes have been made to the National Employment Standard (NES) to provide parents with greater flexibility in relation to their unpaid parental leave entitlements, and also to improve entitlements for parents who experience traumatic events during or in anticipation of taking such leave, including stillbirth and premature birth. Employers should consider updating their parental […]
ReadmoreCOVID-19 | Transitioning employees back to the physical workplace – key considerations
With the continued easing of restrictions across Australia, more and more businesses are looking to transition employees from home and back into their physical workplace. Whether your employees have been on a working from home arrangement, a period of stand down, leave or reduced hours, now is the time to consider how things will work for […]
ReadmoreReforms to the Fair Work Act – What you need to know
The Federal Government yesterday introduced into parliament The Fair Work Amendment (Supporting Australia’s Jobs and Economic Recovery) Bill 2020 (Bill), which if passed will amend the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (Fair Work Act) and related legislation. The Bill has been developed with input from a range of stakeholders, through a process of IR working […]
ReadmoreHigh Court to clarify casual employment – the next instalment in WorkPac v Rossato
On 26 November 2020, the High Court of Australia granted special leave to WorkPac Pty Ltd (WorkPac) to challenge the Full Federal Court decision in WorkPac v Rossato.[1] Since the Full Federal Court decision, employers have been left confused as to how to treat their casual workforce and how to ensure that they are acting […]
ReadmoreCOVID-19 | Trackies to trousers: Transitioning from home to the physical workplace
What will COVID normal look like for your business? With the continued easing of restrictions across Australia, more and more businesses will be looking to transition employees from home (whether on a working from home arrangement or due to a period of stand down, leave or reduced hours) and back into their physical workplace. Just […]
ReadmoreCOVID-19 | Webinar | Trackies to trousers: Transitioning from home to the physical workplace
With the continued easing of COVID-19 restrictions across Australia, more employers are transitioning their employees back to the physical workplace. As with the move to working from home, employers will likely face challenges in the return to face to face operations. In this webinar, Brett Feltham (Partner), Siobhan Mulcahy (Partner) and Emma Moran (Senior Associate) […]
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