To say that we are currently living in unprecedented times is an understatement. Each day we wake to distressing news of increased fatalities, spread of the COVID-19 virus and global attempts to flatten the curve.
Our legal experts will keep you up to date on all relevant and current developments.
To say that we are currently living in unprecedented times is an understatement. Each day we wake to distressing news of increased fatalities, spread of the COVID-19 virus and global attempts to flatten the curve.
Following on from Holman Webb's recent article COVID-19 and the Workplace, the past week has seen a number of unprecedented and immediate changes in the Workplace Relations space, all of which have the potential to affect both your business and employees.
To say that we are currently living in unprecedented times is an understatement. Each day we wake to distressing news of increased fatalities, spread of the COVID-19 virus and global attempts to flatten the curve.
Major changes to 22 modern awards came into effect on 1 March. These changes focussed on record keeping, time-sheets and wage reconciliation to ensure that 'annual salary employees' are always paid either at or above award rates.
Australia is currently in the midst of battling a tragic and unprecedented bushfire season. At the time of publication, there have been 25 deaths, a number of people still unaccounted for, over 1600 homes destroyed, and hundreds of other homes damaged by the fires. A number of major capital cities have also been blanketed with hazardous smoke for weeks, with the Federal Government telling a number of Canberra based employees to stay home on 6 January 2020.
Comcare v Michaela Banerji [2019] HCA 23
The implied right to freedom of political communication can be a complex issue for employees. Finding the balance between workplace policies and the ambiguity of "freedom of speech" can be tricky, especially within the context of social media use. In some circumstances, an individual's expression of political opinions can result in findings of misconduct.
On 25 February 2019, Safe Work Australia published the final report of Marie Boland's review of the Model Work Health and Safety Laws ('the Review'). The Review made a number of recommendations, on which Safe Work Australia sought comment through its Consultation Regulation Impact Statement ('CRIS').
There are a wide range of factors that both employers and employees must take into consideration when ending an employment relationship. Whilst many points on the "end-of-employment checklist" are simple to action and take place without issue, one increasingly common point of contention is the question of what happens to the LinkedIn connections formed by an employee in the course of their employment.
There have been recent concerns surrounding the maintenance of acceptable safety standards in labour hire between employers and host employers. As these arrangements can be complex, Safe Work Australia has released a compliance guide under work health and safety laws - Labour hire: duties of persons conducting a business or undertaking.
