May 27 2019 What are your obligations if an employee is sick during their annual leave?

When most people think of taking annual leave, they don’t anticipate spending that time either sick in bed or in hospital with a family member. However, the reality is that unforeseeable events can occur and potentially derail an intended vacation or any leave plans. So, what are an employer’s obligations if their employees get sick Read More…

April 15 2019 Working from home just got trickier

Employees who work from home to look after family, a sick child, to manage long commutes or to juggle other commitments is fairly common practice… but that could be about to change. If employees work frequently from home, there are certain measures that need to be taken in accordance with the law to prevent serious health and safety Read More…

April 9 2019 What to do if your employee is on the 6pm news

A recent violent attack on police officers that splashed across national news has highlighted the need for better employment practices, particularly when a staff member is at the centre of the story. Human resources specialist Kelli McDougall from Fifth Eagle says many people were surprised that a female childcare worker was charged as part of Read More…

February 27 2018 Five tips to ensure your interns don’t sue you

Internships can be a mixed bag. Done poorly and you have an intern twiddling their thumbs or doing work that really should be done by an employee. Done well however, you’ll engage some bright young people with your organisation, gain some diverse perspectives, get some value add work done and build the management skills of Read More…

January 24 2018 Sexual harassment at work: How Small to medium businesses can deal with allegations

In light of recent allegations made against Rocky Horror Show star Craig McLachlan, it has become apparent that many employees feel that they aren’t able to speak up about sexual harassment in the workplace for fear of repercussions. According to a study conducted by the Australian Human Rights Commission in 2012 titled Working without fear: Read More…

November 29 2017 Companies that offer to freeze their employees’ eggs risk opening ‘Pandora’s Box’, says lawyer

In the United States, it is becoming vogue for companies to pay for female employees to freeze their eggs, with the likes of Apple, Facebook and Google introducing the policy. It’s being sold as a means for women to further their careers, free of pressure to have children at a particular point in time. However, Read More…

July 25 2017 Fair Work’s casual conversion decision: an overview, including steps for businesses

Casual workers will be given the right to convert to part-time or full-time employment, and receive new minimum engagement periods, the Fair Work Commission announced earlier this month. The Commission has decided to give employees across most industries and occupations the right to request permanent employment status after 12 months of regular and systematic employment. Read More…

July 5 2017 Uber flashes headlights on employment laws

Well known ride-sharing app, Uber, has been headlining publications globally as its company policies, CEO and business model are being called into question. Uber’s recent transgressions relating to sexual harassment, discrimination, unprofessionalism, bullying, employment structures and a toxic workplace culture in America challenge many Australian employment laws. The issues at hand allow Australian businesses, small Read More…

July 3 2017 What happened on the weekend: Penalty rate cuts commenced, the minimum wage increased

Two decisions of the Fair Work Commission took effect on weekend – An immediate 3.3% increase in the minimum wage; and a staged variation in penalty rates under the Hospitality, Fast Food, Retail and Pharmacy Awards. The decisions do not apply to people employed under enterprise agreements or in other sectors (eg nurses, police, paramedics, Read More…

June 29 2017 Are your employees working overtime during the EOFY rush? If so, you must tread carefully

As the 2016-2017 financial year comes to an end, businesses are hastily tying up loose ends in preparation for the new financial year. Often employers can put themselves at risk when pressuring their employees to work extensive overtime to finalise projects, meet deadlines and finish annual reports before the end of the financial year. Employers Read More…

June 6 2017 The highest minimum wage increase since 2011… what does this mean for small businesses?

The Fair Work Commission today delivered its annual wage review. This decision will have a significant impact on all businesses and industries and over 2.3 million employees who are paid at the National Minimum Wage or minimum Modern Award rates. From the first full pay period commencing after 1 July 2017: all Modern Award rates will increase by Read More…

June 6 2017 Sunday penalty rate cuts for hospitality, retail staff being phased in over three to four years

Sunday penalty rate reductions for employees covered by the Hospitality, Fast Food, Retail, Pharmacy and Restaurant Awards will be phased in over three to four years from 1 July. The Full Bench of the Fair Work Commission issued a decision on 23 February 2017 to reduce Sunday and public holiday penalty rates in the Hospitality, Read More…

May 3 2017 Unions NSW calls for gig providers to follow Airtasker’s lead following worker agreement

An agreement between Airtasker and Unions NSW aims to improve conditions for workers who use the online job-posting platform, according to reports. In addition to updating its price guide to reflect award wages or higher, Airtasker will introduce a personal injury policy as well as a dispute resolution process to be overseen by the industrial umpire, Fair Read More…

February 28 2017 How the Fair Work Commission’s penalty rate cuts will affect your business and employees

The Fair Work Commission recently ruled that Sunday and public holiday penalty rates will be reduced for full-time and part-time workers in the hospitality, retail, pharmacy and fast-food industries. The Fair Work Commission heard evidence from 143 lay and expert witnesses during a prolonged period of deliberation. In addition 5,900 submissions were received from State Read More…

February 2 2017 Deutsche Bank bonus cuts: lessons for SMEs

Deutsche Bank of Germany recently decided to cut bonuses for local employees as it struggles to turn a profit in the wake of a large litigation bill. The litigation issue stems from the mortgage market collapse in the lead up to the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, resulting in a $7.2 billion-dollar settlement with the US Read More…