As part of its 4-yearly review, the Fair Work Commission has made changes to a number of modern awards. The changes are in relation to payment of wages on termination of employment as well as plain language re-drafting of several standard clauses. The changes take effect from the start of the first full pay period […]
This month we look at the new international OHS standard published by Standards Australia. We also discuss the current ‘casual leave’ issue that is set to be considered again by the Federal Court, with a number of parties intervening in a new case brought by Workpac. New OHS standard published The world’s first international OHS […]
The Fair Work Ombudsman has been successful in its recent push for penalties against an accountancy firm and a human resources manager, who were found to be accessorily liable for their client/employer’s contraventions. Earlier in November, the Federal Court fined a HR Manager $21,760, after it found that she was accessorily liable for the breaches […]
The Federal Circuit Court has given some very clear guidance to employers around the steps they must take to determine appropriate award coverage for a particular business or position. This guidance comes from a very interesting case, where a religious organisation formally contested a compliance notice delivered to it by the Fair Work Ombudsman. This […]
On 9 June 2016, the FWO confirmed the securing of an Enforceable Undertaking with a Victorian based mining employer. The Undertaking sets out that since August 2015, the mining services company has been the subject of 11 requests for assistance to the FWO “relating to allegations of underpayment of wages, penalty rates and shift allowances”. […]
A radio and television program producer company has been fined $24,000 following its underpayment of two young interns over periods of 6 months and 12 months respectively. The proceedings were commenced by the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO). This was the FWO’s first prosecution for underpayment on interns since a 2013 university report (commissioned by the […]
The Federal Court of Australia has penalised an employer and its director a total of $41,500 following the finding that the employer had taken adverse action against one its employees. Fair Work Ombudsman v AJR Nominees Pty Ltd & Minniti (No 1) In the substantive matter, the Federal Court heard that the employee, who had […]