Sticks and stones: Managing psychological health risks in the workplace

By Lucy Coogan and Calum Woods, NRA Legal  SafeWork Australia reports that approximately six per cent of all accepted...

By Lucy Coogan and Calum Woods, NRA Legal  SafeWork Australia reports that approximately six per cent of all accepted workers’ compensation claims relate to work-related mental health conditions. It was further reported that the most common causes of the claims were: work pressure (31%), bullying and harassment (29%), and...

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Message from the CEO – 16 April 2019

Readers with long memories (who are kind enough to keep reading) might remember that three years ago, just before...

Readers with long memories (who are kind enough to keep reading) might remember that three years ago, just before the last federal election, I wrote, “let’s hope the new Prime Minister manages to survive the full three years’’. Here we are again in 2019, and after yet another leadership spill...

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Hop to it: Ensuring your business is ready for April public holidays

By Lucy Coogan and Zoe Brodie, NRA Legal The nature of retail means that public holiday requirements can be quite...

By Lucy Coogan and Zoe Brodie, NRA Legal The nature of retail means that public holiday requirements can be quite complex. This year, a late Easter means up to five public holidays will fall in the space of a week, raising questions as to employee entitlements, attendance, and trading hours during...

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Understanding the difference between unfair dismissal claims and general protections claims

By Calum Woods and Lindsay Carroll, NRA Legal Late last year, the media introduced us to Angela Williamson, an employee...

By Calum Woods and Lindsay Carroll, NRA Legal Late last year, the media introduced us to Angela Williamson, an employee of Cricket Australia allegedly sacked after she posted on Twitter criticising the Tasmanian Government’s policy on abortion laws. Ms Williamson subsequently filed an application with the Fair Work Commission, arguing that...

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Message from the CEO – 9 April 2019

Retail was a big winner in last week’s Federal Budget. Following sluggish sales figures in successive ABS retail trade reports...

Retail was a big winner in last week’s Federal Budget. Following sluggish sales figures in successive ABS retail trade reports it was imperative that measures were put forward to restore consumer confidence. The NRA was therefore very pleased that the Government has pledged to double the low and middle income...

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Why you should enter the 2019 National Retail Awards

The 2019 National Retail Awards will take place on Wednesday September 4 at the five-star luxurious hotel, The Star...

The 2019 National Retail Awards will take place on Wednesday September 4 at the five-star luxurious hotel, The Star Sydney. In 2019, we again have a raft of awards categories that showcase the amazing work of all those employed in retail and we’re certain that this year’s nominees will be...

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Tenth anniversary of the Fair Work Act – Part 1: A change to the union landscape

By Alex Millman and Lindsay Carroll, NRA Legal With the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (the FW Act) nearing its...

By Alex Millman and Lindsay Carroll, NRA Legal With the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (the FW Act) nearing its tenth anniversary in April, now is an apt time to reflect on how the landscape of industrial law has changed both because of the Act, and because of changes to...

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2019 BUDGET SUMMARY

1. BUDGET OVERVIEW The 2019 Budget announced by Treasurer Josh Frydenberg outlines a projected surplus of $7.1 billion for 2019-20,...

1. BUDGET OVERVIEW The 2019 Budget announced by Treasurer Josh Frydenberg outlines a projected surplus of $7.1 billion for 2019-20, making it the first budget surplus in 12 years. The Government will look to use key measures contained in the statement to frame the upcoming election, expected to be called...

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Message from the CEO – 2 April 2019

Throughout the history of retail, one thing has remained a constant: the need to remain competitive. A successful business...

Throughout the history of retail, one thing has remained a constant: the need to remain competitive. A successful business model today is not necessarily a match-winner in the future. Being competitive involves mastering a range of factors such as offering a quality product, keeping business costs efficient, as well as...

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NRA Technical Standards Committee

The National Retail Association is leading the way in an ever-changing regulatory environment by providing important opportunities for discussion,...

The National Retail Association is leading the way in an ever-changing regulatory environment by providing important opportunities for discussion, reflection and future planning action. One such opportunity is the NRA’s Technical Standards Committee, where a group of quality assurance and product compliance specialists regularly come together representing many of...

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SafeCity Network encourages increased crime reporting

Project update - 12 months since launch SafeCity Network encourages increased crime reporting The National Retail Association's SafeCity Network aims to...

Project update - 12 months since launch SafeCity Network encourages increased crime reporting The National Retail Association's SafeCity Network aims to engage retailers in Brisbane CBD and Fortitude Valley about retail crime and crime reporting to discover the real-world issues facing retailers and to encourage retailers to participate in a trial...

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30/03/19 Safety warning notice – button batteries

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA COMPETITION AND CONSUMER ACT 2010 SAFETY WARNING NOTICE Pursuant to paragraph 129(1)(b) of Schedule 2 of the Competition and Consumer...

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA COMPETITION AND CONSUMER ACT 2010 SAFETY WARNING NOTICE Pursuant to paragraph 129(1)(b) of Schedule 2 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010, I, Stuart Robert, Assistant Treasurer, publish this notice to warn of possible risks involved in the use of the consumer goods of the kind specified below. Particulars of the consumer...

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Retail Industry Skills Partnership

Training brings new ideas, enthusiasm and a fresh approach.   Through on the job learning, trainees can acquire practical skills,...

Training brings new ideas, enthusiasm and a fresh approach.   Through on the job learning, trainees can acquire practical skills, tailored to the needs of your business and industry. The NRA Retail Industry Skills Partnership is making it easier for Queensland employers to take on trainees and create skilled careers for...

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Biometric scanners: Employers waiting for clarity

By Calum Woods and Lindsay Carroll, NRA Legal Once thought to be only within the realm of science fiction, biometric...

By Calum Woods and Lindsay Carroll, NRA Legal Once thought to be only within the realm of science fiction, biometric time and attendance systems have been steadily replacing timesheets for the past decade. In its truest sense, a biometric scanner is anything that can track the metrics of a person’s body,...

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Message from the CEO – 26 March 2019

As retail continues to endure a challenging period, we once again hear the doom and gloom predictions that 2019...

As retail continues to endure a challenging period, we once again hear the doom and gloom predictions that 2019 will be a bad year for one of the economies largest sectors. No one is denying that the retail industry is going through a slow period, indeed the entire Australian economy...

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How sustainability in fashion went from the margins to the mainstream

By Adrianne Pasquarelli, Ad Age Nearly every apparel marketer is following consumer demand by leaping onto the green wagon. Banana Republic is...

By Adrianne Pasquarelli, Ad Age Nearly every apparel marketer is following consumer demand by leaping onto the green wagon. Banana Republic is plugging its vegan suede jackets. J. Crew's Madewell brand is urging consumers to turn their "old jeans" into "new homes" through its denim recycling program. Even fast-fashion giants, such as...

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