As a result of the Queensland Government’s “Improving Safety for Queenslanders at Work” Policy, Work Health and Safety laws...
As a result of the Queensland Government’s “Improving Safety for Queenslanders at Work” Policy, Work Health and Safety laws in Queensland have changed effective 22 October 2015. The amendments to the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 are as follows: WHS entry permit holders allowed to enter a workplace immediately...
According to the Fair Work Commission’s newly-released annual report, general protections claims involving termination of an employee has risen...
According to the Fair Work Commission’s newly-released annual report, general protections claims involving termination of an employee has risen by 17.5% in 2014-15. This increase is slightly down in comparison to the previous year. However, the number of claims grew to a total of 3382, with around one third...
This week I hosted follow up discussions with the office of the new Treasurer Scott Morrison. We discussed a...
This week I hosted follow up discussions with the office of the new Treasurer Scott Morrison. We discussed a number of topics including the implementation timeline for scrapping the GST Low Value Threshold, the need for further tax reform, and the Financial Systems Inquiry. Regarding the costs of credit card...
According to Retail Biz online magazine, Australian job seekers started searching for casual Christmas work in August, a month...
According to Retail Biz online magazine, Australian job seekers started searching for casual Christmas work in August, a month earlier than the historical pattern of searching in late September and peaking in November. With many companies not having listed their Christmas casual roles yet, this is considerably ahead of company...
An employer has been unable to successfully establish that they dismissed a client analyst as a result of poor...
An employer has been unable to successfully establish that they dismissed a client analyst as a result of poor performance. Employment of Mr Anderson with BNP was subject to a three month probationary period. Just days prior to his termination, Mr Anderson was confronted by his supervisor in earshot of...
The NRA recently made a submission to the Department of Employment in relation to the review that the Department...
The NRA recently made a submission to the Department of Employment in relation to the review that the Department is currently conducting into various aspects of the Fair Work Amendment Act 2013. Our submissions addressed various provisions that were incorporated within the Fair Work Act 2009 as a result of...
As part of Safe Work Month, Safe Work Australia is hosting a series of free, interactive online seminars that...
As part of Safe Work Month, Safe Work Australia is hosting a series of free, interactive online seminars that showcase the latest thinking, innovation, research and developments in work health and safety. The seminars features business leaders, academics and work health and safety experts sharing ideas, experiences, skills and knowledge. Program...
On Monday this week the Federal Government released its response to the Financial System Inquiry. Of most interest for...
On Monday this week the Federal Government released its response to the Financial System Inquiry. Of most interest for retailers was a commitment to prohibit merchants from levying credit card surcharges “that are greater than the cost to them of accepting payment by card”. A delegation from the NRA met...
In a shock move, banking giant Westpac recently lifted their mortgage rates. The effect on retail sales at this...
In a shock move, banking giant Westpac recently lifted their mortgage rates. The effect on retail sales at this stage is unknown as it is still unclear whether other big banks will follow suit. The impact on consumers will also depend on what the Reserve Bank of Australia will do...
The Queensland Government has re-introduced the Retail Shop Leases Amendment Bill again into parliament after the original Bill lapsed...
The Queensland Government has re-introduced the Retail Shop Leases Amendment Bill again into parliament after the original Bill lapsed when the last election was called. The Bill followed extensive consultation as a part of the statutory review that started in 2013. The NRA was a member of the Reference...
The Office of Small Business Commissioner in New South Wales is proceeding with the review of the Act which...
The Office of Small Business Commissioner in New South Wales is proceeding with the review of the Act which lapsed due to the elections earlier this year. The review commenced in 2013 with a series of meetings help with various stakeholders. The discussion paper identified eight key areas of...
In a recent hearing in South Australia, an employer’s decision to refuse permanency to a driver with Asperger’s was...
In a recent hearing in South Australia, an employer’s decision to refuse permanency to a driver with Asperger’s was deemed unfair and irrational, but not a breach of any anti-discrimination laws. According to the Tribunal, it was fair to consider the potential for future injury and therefore no breach...
NSW Fair Trading recently commenced its annual pre-Christmas toy safety checks targeting suburbs and towns across the State. Discount stores...
NSW Fair Trading recently commenced its annual pre-Christmas toy safety checks targeting suburbs and towns across the State. Discount stores and 'pop-up kiosk' traders will be a focus with inspections continuing for several weeks. Fair Trading Commissioner Rod Stowe said kiosk traders tend to be direct importers, securing their products via...
Analysts were saying that the next move in interest rates would be upwards and we saw evidence of that...
Analysts were saying that the next move in interest rates would be upwards and we saw evidence of that this week – not from the Reserve Bank, but from Westpac, which announced a 0.2 per cent increase in its variable rate mortgage. It’s not the first bank to nudge...
In 2014 the NSW Government introduced extended Christmas shopping hours to help give NSW retailers a boost during the...
In 2014 the NSW Government introduced extended Christmas shopping hours to help give NSW retailers a boost during the vital shopping season. All shops within a business zone will be allowed to open 24 hours a day from 12:00am Friday, 11 December 2015 until 11:59pm Thursday, 24 December, without planning...
Securing your online business presence helps protect the whole retail sector, which relies on a range of technologies to...
Securing your online business presence helps protect the whole retail sector, which relies on a range of technologies to manage the customer experience. You need to secure point of sale, website, inventory and other systems to protect high value data like financial transactions, credit card data, business data and...