On 19 June 2020 the Fair Work Commission (FWC) released its 2020 wage decision. The decision increased all Modern Awards by 1.75%, however for the first time, the implementation of the decision was staggered over 3 implementation dates. The final group of Modern Awards were varied to include the increase of 1.75% to all pay rates from 1 February 2021. This means that now all Modern Awards have been varied to incorporate the increase. As

I expect that most of us woke up on the 1st of January hoping that the challenges of 2020 were firmly in the rear-view mirror. I remain optimistic that the worst of the 2020 challenges, particularly the impact of coronavirus, will ease as we move through 2021 with the rollout of vaccinations locally and across the world. However, the vaccine rollout will bring its own employment challenges. A hot topic for employment in 2021 will be

Covid 19 has much to answer for including for many people changing the look of their workplaces in the short or long term. Many Australian’s found themselves forced to work from home. For many employers and employees this was not a change that they had anticipated nor one for which any forward planning had occurred. Many employers and employees, prior to coronavirus would have denied that their work could be successfully undertaken other than in

Sexual Harassment in the workplace has been unlawful for so long that you would think that we would have eradicated it by now. However, a recent report Respect@Work: Sexual Harassment National Inquiry Report (2020) reveals that we are far from managing this issue, and nowhere near eradicating it from our workplaces.  In fact, the report found that one in three people experienced sexual harassment at work in the past five years. Importantly, sexual harassment occurs

The recent amendments to the Jobkeeper arrangements have changed more than just the monetary value of the Jobkeeper wage subsidy. Employers need to be aware of the changes to ensure that when managing employees they do not breach the Fair Work Act, 2009 (FWA).  From 28 September 2020, there will be three different categories of employers in Australia and employers must understand which category they fall into and what management options are available to them.