The landscape of casual employment in Australia has undergone significant changes following the High Court's landmark decision in Workpac Ltd v Rossato & Ors [2021] HCA 23. The recently enacted Closing Loopholes No 2 Act, introduces a legislative definition of casual employment effective from late August. Employers are advised to reassess their casual workforce within the six-month transition period to ensure compliance.

Our Q&A article explores in more detail some of the questions that may arise from the new legislation: Fair Work Amendment (Supporting Australia’s Jobs and Economic Recovery) Bill 2020 (the Bill).

A definition of casual employment has been introduced into the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (FW Act) and provides a statutory right to long term casual employees to request conversion to permanent employment.