Business calls for IR flexibilities to be reintroduced

Business is urging Prime Minister Scott Morrison to reinstate the temporary industrial relations flexibilities in the Fair Work Act when Parliament...

Business is urging Prime Minister Scott Morrison to reinstate the temporary industrial relations flexibilities in the Fair Work Act when Parliament resumes as a means of supporting employers and employees through the country’s latest as well as future lockdowns. We thank the Fair Work Commission for the invitation to meet yesterday alongside unions and government...

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Wage theft now a crime in Victoria

From Thursday 1 July 2021, wage theft is now a criminal offence in Victoria, and employers who deliberately underpay...

From Thursday 1 July 2021, wage theft is now a criminal offence in Victoria, and employers who deliberately underpay or don’t pay their workers now face fines of up to almost $1 million for companies and up to 10 years’ jail or up to $200,000 for individuals. Under the Wage...

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New wage summaries now available

Last week, the Fair Work Commission handed down its decision in the 2020/2021 Annual Wage Review. The minimum base...

Last week, the Fair Work Commission handed down its decision in the 2020/2021 Annual Wage Review. The minimum base wage payable under Modern Awards will increase by 2.5%. what to pay staff New wage summaries incorporating the 2.5% increase are now available on the NRA’s Member Portal for the following...

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What the government responses to the Respect@Work report mean for employers

Sexual harassment is usually not an isolated incident, and it is rarely a situation of a misunderstanding or of...

Sexual harassment is usually not an isolated incident, and it is rarely a situation of a misunderstanding or of innocent “appreciation”. Rather, it is frequently the product of a workplace culture that at best overlooks (and at worst enables) such conduct, which can have significant consequences for health and...

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What happens if a casual employee refuses a rostered shift?

As of 27 March 2021, it is now enshrined in the Fair Work Act 2009 that casual employees will generally be able to...

As of 27 March 2021, it is now enshrined in the Fair Work Act 2009 that casual employees will generally be able to accept or refuse work when it is offered. While this has always been the case under common law and is technically not anything new, the fact that it is now provided...

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Retailers and Western Australian Government join forces to prevent wage non-compliance

The National Retail Association (NRA) with the assistance of the Western Australian Government have launched the Wage Right Compliance...

The National Retail Association (NRA) with the assistance of the Western Australian Government have launched the Wage Right Compliance Hub, an educational online resource designed to assist small and medium sized businesses with wage compliance. Dominique Lamb, CEO of the National Retail Association, has said that one of the key...

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What businesses need to know about the new Fair Work amendments

Yesterday, the Fair Work Amendment (Supporting Australia’s Jobs and Economic Recovery) Bill 2021 was passed by both Houses of Parliament and...

Yesterday, the Fair Work Amendment (Supporting Australia’s Jobs and Economic Recovery) Bill 2021 was passed by both Houses of Parliament and will shortly enter into law. Yet despite strong support from businesses and equally strong opposition from unions, the final version of the Bill removes much of what appealed to either...

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Preparing for the end of JobKeeper – Key dates and actions for employers

The Federal Government’s JobKeeper scheme is coming to an end on 28 March 2021, meaning businesses will no longer...

The Federal Government’s JobKeeper scheme is coming to an end on 28 March 2021, meaning businesses will no longer be entitled to receive JobKeeper payments for their eligible employees or utilise the temporary JobKeeper provisions under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (Fair Work Act) which gave employers certain...

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IR Omnibus Bill needs to be passed this week

Australia's leading industry groups are calling for Parliament to vote on the IR Omnibus Bill this week and for...

Australia's leading industry groups are calling for Parliament to vote on the IR Omnibus Bill this week and for all Senators to support it. There is no valid reason why the Bill should be delayed. The certainty that these reforms will deliver is needed urgently to boost confidence, investment and...

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Part time flexibility application will reduce employment

An ACTU and COSBOA flexible part-time employment proposal for the General Retail Award is poorly drafted, will add more...

An ACTU and COSBOA flexible part-time employment proposal for the General Retail Award is poorly drafted, will add more red tape and risks exposing business operators, including small businesses, to costly disputes and the perils of ‘go away’ money. The joint Union/COSBOA application to vary the General Retail Award largely...

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Changes to Single Touch Payroll reporting from 1 July 2021

Employers should be reporting through Single Touch Payroll (STP) unless they only have closely held payees, or they are...

Employers should be reporting through Single Touch Payroll (STP) unless they only have closely held payees, or they are covered by a deferral or exemption. There are changes to STP reporting for small employers with closely held payees and quarterly reporting for micro employers from 1 July 2021. This...

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Next phase of JobKeeper commences today

In accordance with previous announcements, the next phase in the winding-back of the JobKeeper Payment Scheme takes effect from...

In accordance with previous announcements, the next phase in the winding-back of the JobKeeper Payment Scheme takes effect from today, 4 January 2021. The amount of JobKeeper payments will be reduced as follows:     Businesses who have been receiving the payment also need to undertake the following tasks:   Re-assess business eligibility Businesses will only...

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Retailers back the Morrison Government’s vital industrial relations reforms

The National Retail Association has welcomed proposed legislation by the Morrison Government to provide greater clarity on casual employment...

The National Retail Association has welcomed proposed legislation by the Morrison Government to provide greater clarity on casual employment laws and prevent job-destroying backpay claims. The Bill to be introduced before Federal Parliament this week seeks to provide greater clarity to both workers and employers regarding pay entitlements while also...

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Underpaying vulnerable workers sees franchisee penalised $230,040 by Court

By Andrew Piper and Alex Millman, NRA Legal   An ex-franchisee has been slapped with over $230,000 worth of penalties by...

By Andrew Piper and Alex Millman, NRA Legal   An ex-franchisee has been slapped with over $230,000 worth of penalties by the Federal Circuit Court for continuing to underpay vulnerable workers despite being prosecuted previously for similar conduct. This prosecution is particularly significant since it is the first time that the Fair...

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When do I need to notify WorkSafe of an incident in the workplace?

By Calum Woods and Lindsay Carroll, NRA Legal Over the past weeks, news has tragically emerged of two delivery riders...

By Calum Woods and Lindsay Carroll, NRA Legal Over the past weeks, news has tragically emerged of two delivery riders who were fatally struck by vehicles days apart in Sydney. The incidents have sparked renewed calls for more consistent WHS reporting obligations across Australia. When a serious safety incident occurs in...

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Employer dodges conviction for child labour offences as regulator flexes muscles

By Alex Millman and Lindsay Carroll, NRA Legal In a stark sign of the times, the Victorian Wage Inspectorate (VWI)...

By Alex Millman and Lindsay Carroll, NRA Legal In a stark sign of the times, the Victorian Wage Inspectorate (VWI) has claimed its first criminal prosecution under child labour laws, and emphasized that it stands ready, willing and unafraid to prosecute wage theft offences when it gains that power next...

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