COVID-19 | NSW RoadMap to Reopening – Work requirements in phase 2 (80% vaccination rate)
The Public Health (COVID-19 General) Order 2021 (NSW) (Order) is part of the roadmap for easing restrictions when 80% of the population of New South Wales who are over 16 years of age are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The Order was amended on 15 October 2021 to take into account the move to more fully […]
ReadmoreCOVID-19 | NSW RoadMap to Reopening – Work requirements in phase 1 (70% vaccination rate)
The Public Health (COVID-19 General) Order 2021 (NSW) (Order) is part of the roadmap for easing restrictions when 70% of the population of New South Wales who are over 16 years of age are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The Order was amended on 8 October 2021 to take into account the most recently announced changes […]
ReadmoreCOVID-19 | Mandatory vaccination for Victorian authorised workers
The Acting Chief Health Officer has issued long awaited directions making COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for authorised workers in Victoria (the Directions). Who do the Directions apply to? The Directions apply to the ’employers’ of ‘workers’ in Victoria who are authorised to leave home for work under the Authorised Worker list. Specifically, it applies to workers […]
ReadmoreCOVID-19 | Mandatory vaccination in the healthcare sector in Victoria
The Acting Chief Health Officer has issued updated directions making mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations a requirement for staff to work in healthcare facilities in Victoria (the Directions). Who do the Directions apply to? The Directions apply to ‘healthcare operators’, being those who own, control or operate a healthcare facility, whether public, private or denominational. A ‘healthcare […]
ReadmoreCOVID-19 | Public health orders and mandatory vaccinations in the workplace
In a widely reported decision handed down earlier this week, Jennifer Kimber v Sapphire Coast Community Aged Care [2021] FWCFB 6015, a Full Bench of the Fair Work Commission has taken the opportunity to provide its views on the mandating of flu and COVID-19 vaccinations under public health orders and what requirements must be met […]
ReadmoreFair Work Commission gains powers to stop sexual harassment in the workplace
The Fair Work Commission (FWC) has been given power to make stop orders in relation to sexual harassment in the workplace in line with recommendations from the Respect@Work Report (for a summary of those recommendations, see here). The new powers apply in relation to applications made after 10 November 2021, after a request from the […]
ReadmoreCOVID-19 | Navigating the vaccination minefield – what employers need to know
Revised as at 17 September 2021 Following our recent webinar, ‘Navigating the vaccination minefield – what employers need to know’, in this easy-to-download PDF we have put together a list of answers to some of the most commonly asked questions for employers navigating the COVID-19 vaccination minefield. This guide will serve as an essential tool […]
ReadmoreCOVID-19 | Mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations in the workplace – is it lawful?
While there have been many issues which employers have had to face during the COVID-19 pandemic, of late the issue which has received the most media coverage, and which has probably caused the most concern for employers, is the issue of whether an employer can mandate that its employees must receive COVID-19 vaccinations. We have […]
ReadmoreThe High Court provides more certainty around casual employees
The High Court has provided further certainty in determining whether an employee is a casual employee in handing down its much anticipated decision in WorkPac Pty Ltd v Rossato [2021] HCA 23 (4 August 2021). However, because of reforms in this space earlier this year, the practical implications of the High Court’s decision in Rossato […]
ReadmoreCasual employees – review of the new rights and obligations under the NES
The amendments to the National Employment Standard regarding casual employees are about bringing certainty to casual employment arrangements. Employers should now be considering what steps they need to take to comply with the NES including assessing offers of conversion for employees who commenced employment prior to 27 March 2021. This is particularly relevant as there […]
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 […]
Readmore
