Effective from 1 July 2023, the Fair Work Commission has announced a 5.75% increase in the National Minimum Wage and Modern Award pay rates, with the NMW actually increasing by 8.6%. Ensure that your award-covered employees' wages reflect the new pay increase and stay compliant with the updated regulations.

Employers will have new obligations and requirements from June 6 2023, regarding requests for flexible working arrangements and unpaid parental leave extensions, necessitating a review of current practices, discussions with employees, consideration of alternative changes and update to current procedures. Please seek guidance to ensure compliance with the new obligations.

The changes introduced by the Fair Work Amendments, which we will cover in this update, include provisions to:

• Sexual harassment

• Anti-discrimination and special measures

• Equal remuneration

The changes introduced by the Fair Work Amendments, which we will cover in this update, include provisions to:

• Industrial action

• Single interest employer bargaining stream

• Supported bargaining stream

The changes introduced by the Fair Work Amendments, which we will cover in this update, include provisions to:

• Initiating bargaining – the changes introduced that allow unions to initiate bargaining

• Termination of enterprise agreements after nominal expiry date

• Dealing with errors in enterprise agreements

The changes introduced by the Fair Work Amendments, which we will cover in this update, include provisions to:

• Abolition of the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) and Registered Organisations Commission (ROC)

• Prohibition on pay secrecy

• Prohibition on advertising contravening pay rates

• Sunsetting ‘zombie’ agreements

On November 11, The Industrial Relations Commission NSW (NSW IRC) published its decision on the Application for the Crown Employees (Teachers in Schools and Related Employees) Salaries and Conditions Award 2022.

A stand down takes place when an employer stops an employee from working without pay, for a reason that is outside of the employer’s control. We explore situations that employers can face when determining appropriate circumstances for standing down employees.