ARTICLES

As New South Wales residents emerge from lockdown the Supreme Court has affirmed the NSW government’s power to curtail individual freedoms through Public Health Orders. Workers in essential industries, such as health care, education and some areas of construction,...

Last week the Treasury passed new legislation requiring Australian company directors to apply for a director identification number (Director ID).  This legislation aims to prevent directors from illegally transferring assets between companies, ensure directors can be...

A newly introduced state-wide regulatory framework sets new standards and provisions overseeing management of short-term rental accommodations (STRA). The amendments, which come into effect 1 November 2021, seeks to benefit hosts, whilst offering security for locals...

In response to the constraints on the ability of parties to sign documents in person brought on by the pandemic, temporary legislative changes have broadened authorised methods of execution. The temporary measures under the Treasury Laws Amendment (2021 Measures No.1)...

The Fair Work Commission (FWC) has recently decided that a paid meal break does not form part of the ordinary, or regular working hours established under Enterprise Agreements. The issue was resolved in Howard v National Patient Transport Pty Ltd (2021), where an...

The gig economy and the COVID-19 pandemic have converged to create the most turbulent time in the employment space since the introduction of the Work Choices Act in 2006 and the Fair Work Act in 2009 (‘FWA’), which introduced a safety net for employees, including:...

In the midst of a worldwide pandemic where 15 million Australians are currently locked down, employers are grappling with how to ensure their businesses can keep operating and their employees can continue in their roles and provide for their families. Questions are...

The Queensland safety regulator has again demonstrated its commitment to ensuring the safety of workers in its latest industrial manslaughter proceedings. The regulator, under the Electronic Safety Act 2002, has commenced proceedings in relation to an incident...

The percentage of an employee’s earnings used to calculate the contribution to their super fund has been raised from 9.5% to 10%. The percentage, known as the Superannuation Guarantee (SG) was raised and took effect 1 July 2021 and applies to all salary and wage...