Recruitment – Asking About a Potential Employee’s Medical History
We are often asked by our clients the question - Can an employer ask potential employees about their medical history during a job interview? The question then begs, is it grounds for termination if...
WC Upholds Dismissal of Worker who Refused to Get the Flu Shot
Last week, the Full Bench of the Fair Work Commission upheld decision of a NSW aged care facility, Sapphire Coast Community Aged Care, which dismissed a receptionist, Jennifer Kimber in July 2020...
Reality Bites in Bullying and Harassment Claims
The Seven Network has been ordered by the Personal Injury Commission of New South Wales to pay a My Kitchen Rules contestant ongoing compensation of $22,000 per year for psychological injury...
Unpaid Work Experience Not Protected From Unfair Dismissal
In a recent case, the Fair Work Commission (FWC) considered the difference between volunteer work, unpaid work experience, and employment to find whether a recent law graduate was able to take an...
Sexual Harassment Legislative Changes and a Holistic Approach to Prevent Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment is an issue that sadly affects many people in the workplace – often it is a problem that may be difficult to handle from an employer’s standpoint but not impossible to tackle. It...
FWC Approves Amendments to Restaurant Award
On 2 August 2021, the Fair Work Commission approved the following amendments to the Restaurant Industry Award 2020: A simplified classification level system; An ability to agree with senior...
Mandatory COVID Vaccinations in the Workplace
In recent weeks we have received increased enquiries from our clients about mandatory COVID vaccinations in the workplace for all of their employees.This is a very vexed question with so many legal...
The New World of Working From Home
In a world where snap lockdowns, hotspots, border closures and close and casual contacts have become part of our daily lives, we have also been thrust into the world of working from home and stay at...
Welfare Checks For Employees
We recommend you keep in contact with all your employees as regularly as possible. As your employees adjust to new working arrangements along with potential uncertainty around finances and their...
COVID 19 Staff shortages – Do you need to update your recruitment and training to cope?
In an industry which has seen critical staff shortages over the past 18 months, many hospitality venues are struggling to recruit experienced people to fill the gaps in their teams. Could it be the...
The COVID 19 Vaccination – can you force an employee to “take the jab” or can you incentivise the vaccinations?
Earlier this year, one of our consultants, Andrea Vickery wrote an article about COVID 19 Vaccination for employees, and whether or not employers could lawfully force an employee to have the COVID...
BREAKING NEWS…
The Fair Work Commission (FWC) has announced that the Federal Minimum Wage will increase by 2.5% as from the first pay period to commence on or after 1 July 2021. This increase will then flow to...
Fair Work Ombudsman Continue to Prosecute for Under-Payment of Wages in the Hospitality Sector
In spite of the difficulties faced by employers in the hospitality sector by the current COVID pandemic and the resultant shut downs, the Fair Work Ombudsman continues prosecute employers in the...
Excessive Hours – do you have a Duty of Care to your Employees?
The question as to what is considered to be reasonable hours is a question that is often posed to us by or clients. Indeed there are many employers who have contracts with salaried staff which...
IR Bill Gutted through the Senate and New Casual Laws
The long-awaited changes to the Fair Work Act have been gutted in its passage through the Senate. Whilst the Government had the backing of One Nation for the Bill, and in the absence of support from...