Message from the CEO: 15 January 2016

The jobs figures released yesterday by the Australian Bureau of Statistics were very welcome news for the economy, and...

The jobs figures released yesterday by the Australian Bureau of Statistics were very welcome news for the economy, and for the retail sector. The ABS reported that 312,000 more Australians were in work in December compared with the same time 12 months ago, with most of those people finding full-time...

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Admin to warehouse staff – Do you know their rights?

Article by Workplace Advisor – F.Dunstone In this article, National Retail Association's Workplace Advisor, Felicity Dunstone, debunks some common misconceptions...

Article by Workplace Advisor – F.Dunstone In this article, National Retail Association's Workplace Advisor, Felicity Dunstone, debunks some common misconceptions and highlights a few tricky entitlements in the Clerks – Private Sector Award 2010 (Clerks Award) and the Storage Services and Wholesale Award 2010 (Storage Services Award). CLERKS AWARD Myth...

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Streamlining the Agreement approval process

In February of this year, nine out of ten Agreement approval applications will be subject to “triage” model. Practically,...

In February of this year, nine out of ten Agreement approval applications will be subject to “triage” model. Practically, this means that the applications will be sorted into groups or categories to streamline the approval process. This anticipated change was born from an independent review in May 2015 that found...

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CloudFirst – The real partners in innovation and technology

The National Retail Association is pleased to partner with innovation gurus CloudFirst to deliver our quarterly Innovation and Technology...

The National Retail Association is pleased to partner with innovation gurus CloudFirst to deliver our quarterly Innovation and Technology Breakfasts in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. Insights from the New York NRF Big Show will be presented at the next breakfast meetings at the Microsoft Experience Centres on: Tuesday the 8th...

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NSW doubles recycling rebate for SME’s

The NSW Government has doubled the recycling rebate available for small and medium enterprises (SME's) to assist with purchases...

The NSW Government has doubled the recycling rebate available for small and medium enterprises (SME's) to assist with purchases of small-scale recycling equipment. Under the Bin Trim Business Grants Program, businesses may be eligible for free advice and funding support to help waste less and recycle more. If you business employs...

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NT reducing red tape for retail shop leases

The Northern Territory Government is seeking comments from the public on a proposal to streamline the regulation of retail...

The Northern Territory Government is seeking comments from the public on a proposal to streamline the regulation of retail shop tenancies. The purpose of the Business Tenancies (Fair Dealings) Act (the Act) is to establish a regulatory framework that promotes greater certainty, fairness and clarity in the commercial relationship between...

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Household goods continue to drive retail trade growth

The recent release of the November 2015 retail trade figures by the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed continued growth...

The recent release of the November 2015 retail trade figures by the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed continued growth in the Household Goods sector. As indicated in the graph below, the retail sector grew by 3.8 per cent nationally, with Victoria (5.5 per cent), Tasmania (4.3 per cent) and New...

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Message from the CEO: 8 January 2016

Happy New Year. I trust you have had a prosperous end to 2015 and a positive start to 2016....

Happy New Year. I trust you have had a prosperous end to 2015 and a positive start to 2016. Anecdotal feedback from members suggests to us that the Christmas and Boxing Day sales periods were generally strong. Based on the November sales data released by the Bureau of Statistics today,...

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Message from the CEO: 18 December 2015

Here we are (almost) at the end of 2015. This edition of Week In Review is the last one...

Here we are (almost) at the end of 2015. This edition of Week In Review is the last one for the year, and it has been kept deliberately short because we know you are frantic with just a week until Christmas. However, there are a couple of things I...

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Ho! Ho! Ho! The festive season, a time to celebrate

As 2015 draws to an end and employers prepare to celebrate the Christmas season, it is worth revisiting a...

As 2015 draws to an end and employers prepare to celebrate the Christmas season, it is worth revisiting a case that has shed some light on what is inappropriate conduct at a work function. In this case, it was held that an employee had been unfairly dismissed despite his...

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Digital by default consultation paper

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is transforming the way that they work in an attempt to give taxpayers, staff...

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is transforming the way that they work in an attempt to give taxpayers, staff and stakeholders the best possible experience with tax and superannuation systems. A major driver for this transformation is the community's growing expectations around government services being simpler, faster and easier to...

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Beware of scammers delivering malware for Christmas

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) have issued a warning for consumers and business owners to be on...

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) have issued a warning for consumers and business owners to be on the lookout for fake delivery parcel scams arriving in your inbox this Christmas season. Over 100 reports of this scam have already been received for December, with only half the...

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Critical shopping weekend ahead for Christmas sales as Aussie dollar tumbles

Shoppers are expected to hit the pavement in droves this weekend, with retailers hoping the traditional last-minute sales spike...

Shoppers are expected to hit the pavement in droves this weekend, with retailers hoping the traditional last-minute sales spike of the third week in December and tumbling Australian dollar helps deliver a strong Christmas sales period. Tills have already started ringing loud and clear throughout Aussie bricks and mortar stores...

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Queensland Parliament to hear report on labour hire arrangements in 2016

Labour hire companies operating in Queensland may be subject to licensing and registration requirements in the near future, as...

Labour hire companies operating in Queensland may be subject to licensing and registration requirements in the near future, as the Queensland Parliament launches an investigation into the nature of these businesses and allegations of sham contracting. The review, headed by the Finance and Administration Committee, will consider both the social...

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WorkCover Queensland – Small Business Customer Survey

This month, WorkCover Queensland is asking its small businesses customers for feedback on the value they get from having...

This month, WorkCover Queensland is asking its small businesses customers for feedback on the value they get from having a workers’ compensation policy. WorkCover is conducting a short online survey on this important issue, so if you’ve received a link to the survey you are encouraged to have your say,...

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SafeWork NSW – New video safety alert

In the last five years SafeWork NSW has investigated 21 incidents involving workers being injured whilst unpacking shipping containers. Three...

In the last five years SafeWork NSW has investigated 21 incidents involving workers being injured whilst unpacking shipping containers. Three of these workers were killed. SafeWork NSW has just released a new video safety alert Unpacking shipping containers which is aimed at reducing serious injuries and fatalities in the workplace by...

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