The right to disconnect, introduced through the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes No.2) Bill 2023, grants Australian employees the entitlement to ignore work-related communication outside of working hours, except when deemed unreasonable. This amendment seeks to balance work-life boundaries by allowing employees to disengage after work hours, unless specific criteria for reasonableness are met.

Fixed term contracts (including maximum term and temporary contracts), entered into on or after 6 December 2023, are limited to a maximum period of two years and/or one renewal, including previous periods of employment, unless limited exceptions apply.

This article explores the concept of reasonable additional hours under the Fair Work Act, covering the rights of employees to refuse such hours and the corresponding compensation. It delves into considerations for determining reasonableness, payment obligations, and potential future changes regarding the "right to disconnect" outside of work hours.

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.

A timely reminder to update your workplace policies. Attention Employers: Fair Work Act amendments – update your policies and WHS risk management frameworks

As you may be aware, the recent Fair Work Act amendments require employers to address and manage risks in several areas affecting their employees.

Do you understand the changes as a result of the amendment to the Fair Work legislation passed on 6 December 2022? What are the changes, how will they affect your organisation, and when exactly will they come into effect?

A notice period is an important time at the end of a person’s employment. Unfortunately, sometimes employees leave without giving any notice or don’t work out their whole notice period. The FAQs in this article answer the enquiries we commonly receive when this occurs.

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.

Sadly, many people across Australia and the world, suffer domestic and family violence. This is a very real problem and as an employer it is important to be aware of how to support your employees should they need it.