24 JulUpcoming Fair Work Law changes: what do you need to know
The Australian Government introduced new workplace laws as part of its ‘Closing Loopholes’ legislation in February this year. Many of these changes will take effect on 26 August 2024 and may impact your service’s HR, employment, and operational practices.
We will communicate the relevant changes in a series of upcoming ELAAvate articles. Topics we will cover include:
- ‘Right to disconnect’: employees will have the right to refuse contact from their employer outside of working hours if it is unreasonable.
- Casual employees and casual conversion: new rules for casual employment, the Casual Employment Information Statement, and an updated definition of a ‘casual employee’.
- Independent contractor changes: understanding the rules for hiring and engaging independent contractors, including bookkeepers.
- Workplace delegates and enterprise agreements: understand the new role of a union workplace delegate, changes to the right of entry, and updates to enterprise bargaining.
- Criminalising ‘wage theft’: the intentional underpayment of wages by employers will now be a criminal offence.
Our articles will focus on the impact of these changes and the steps that Committees of management and employers must take to prepare.
For more information on the new ‘Closing Loopholes’ Laws, please visit the Fair Work Ombudsman link here “Closing Loopholes”. A visual snapshot of the key start dates is also available at the Fair Work Ombudsman’s “Closing Loopholes” visual snapshot page.
