Right to disconnect – What small businesses need to know before 26 August 2025 On 26 August 2025, employees of small businesses will commence having the right to disconnect from the workpla... Read more
National Minimum Wage and Modern Award rates increase announced Today at 10:00 am AEST, The Fair Work Commission (FWC) handed down the Annual Wage Review 2025 decision. Our key takeawa... Read more
New penalties for underpayment of wages (including criminal convictions) and shield laws for small business employers From 1 January 2025, intentional underpayment of wages and entitlements will become a criminal offence under the Closing... Read more
The right to disconnect – workplace right commences The new workplace right – the right to disconnect, commenced for the vast majority of employees today, 26 August 2024. E... Read more
What is the “right to disconnect” and what does it mean for you as an employer? There has been a lot of hype and conjecture surrounding the commencement of the “right to disconnect”. With the implemen... Read more
Definition change of casual employment Podcast If you currently employ casual staff, now’s the time to check whether in fact they’re employment is genuinely casual. Ch... Read more
Modern Awards varied from 1 July 2024 to include a Delegates rights clause The Closing Loopholes Act amendments required the Fair Work Commission (FWC) to include a delegate’s rights clause to be... Read more
Employment regulation changes from 1 July 2024 Employment regulation changes from 1 July 2024 – Increased capacity for Unions to enter workplaces without notice. From ... Read more
National Minimum Wage and Modern Award rates increase announced Today at 10:30 am AEST, The Fair Work Commission (FWC) handed down the Annual Wage Review 2023-24 decision. Our key take... Read more
Important updates in Australian Work Health & Safety – 2023 There have been a number of changes in the Work Health and Safety (WHS) space across all jurisdictions in Australia in 2... Read more
Proposed changes to the employee record exemption: What employers need to know The nature of employment relationships requires employers to collect information about their employees. The rapid develo... Read more
Christmas party mayhem – a risk or not? A workplace end of year function is a great way to unwind, relax and celebrate the achievements of another year. However... Read more
Changes to fixed term contracts from 6 Dec 2023 What is a fixed-term contract? The term “fixed term” covers all forms of contracts of employment which provide for a lim... Read more
Can the Fair Work Act 2009 apply to international remote workers? In the very recent case of Gautam Parimoo v Lake Resources N.L. [2023] FWC 2543 (4 October 2023) the Fair Work Commissi... Read more
Bill Introduces wide application of criminalisation of wage theft On 4 September 2023, the Australian Government introduced the Closing Loopholes Bill to the Federal Parliament. As the n... Read more
Understanding Directors’ liability for underpayments: lessons from Chatime case Navigating the intricate and complex matrix of workplace regulation is essential for every business. A recent Federal Ci... Read more
Paid Domestic Violence Leave commences for small employers from 1 August 2023. Small business employers (employers with less than 15 employees) from 1 August 2023 are required to provide Paid Family ... Read more
Discover solutions to workplace health challenges with Mazars and LIME Medicolegal. Do you have burning questions about managing health-related challenges in the workplace? Mazars in Australia and LIME Me... Read more
Immediate action required: Changes to Award wages and the employer superannuation rate Modern Award rates On 2 June 2023, The Fair Work Commission (FWC) announced the Annual Wage Review 2022-23 decision whic... Read more
Stay ahead of the curve: Embrace changes to flexible work and unpaid parental leave disputes In today’s rapidly evolving work landscape, where the need for work-life balance and gender equality has gained signific... Read more
National Minimum Wage and Modern Award rates increase announced Today at 10 am AEST, The Fair Work Commission (FWC) handed down the Annual Wage Review 2022-23 decision. Our key takeawa... Read more
Sexual harassment in connection with work: Changes to the Fair Work Act and what it means for employers Mazars IR/ER/psychology experts, Cheryl-Anne Laird, Partner and Yan Flageul, Senior HR Advisor, provide an overview of t... Read more
Fair Work amendments: Secure Jobs, Better Pay – what do I need to know? The Secure Jobs, Better Pay amendments to the Fair Work Act will progressively be implemented throughout 2023. With som... Read more
Changes to the Fair Work Act that will impact your business. Is your business ready? With the passing of new amendments to the Fair Work Act, 2009 in late 2022, employers are faced with changes that will i... Read more
Zombie agreements given an end date The Fair Work Commission (FWC) has released the details of over 100,000 ‘zombie agreements’. These zombie agreements wil... Read more
10 days paid family and domestic violence leave The Australian Federal Government has introduced a Bill to provide for 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leav... Read more
Fair Work Commission releases National Wage Case Decision for 2022 The Fair Work Commission (FWC) today released its National Wage Case decision which increased both the national minimum ... Read more
What you need to know about the Federal Government Wage subsidies to assist with engaging and retaining apprentices The Federal Government introduced the Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements (BAC) scheme to assist employers to engage a... Read more
The Superannuation guarantee will increase from 10% to 10.5% from 1 July 2022 From 1 July 2022, the current superannuation guarantee rate of 10% will increase to 10.5%. This increase is a statutory... Read more
10 days paid domestic and family violence leave In a decision handed down on 16 May 2022, a Full Bench of the Fair Work Commission (FWC) has provisionally approved 10 d... Read more
How outplacement can simultaneously support your employees and protect your Employer brand Redundancies are a fact of contemporary employment. This has been exacerbated by the economic impact of Covid-19 across ... Read more
Significant amendments to piece rates in the Horticulture Award will come into force from 28 April 2022 The Fair Work Commission (FWC) has released its final determination on amendments to the piece work arrangements under t... Read more
Workplace sexual harassment regulation changes November 11, 2021 heralds in a new era in workplace sexual harassment regulation with the commencement of the jurisdicti... Read more
Employment in a post lockdown Australia As many States and Territories move to ‘open up’ following Covid 19 vaccination milestones many of our clients are askin... Read more
Providence HR has a new identity Providence HR is delighted to announce its new identity, marking a milestone for the firm’s evolution. Effective from We... Read more
We’re in this together We are very proud to announce that Mazars – HR and IR Consulting have achieved a 100% voluntary vaccination rate. A big ... Read more
Why it is vital to know about your employee engagement If Covid 19 had not already thrown up enough challenges for employers, there are more to come. The pandemic has resulted... Read more
The High Court provides clarity on the entitlements of a casual employee In 2016, the Federal Circuit Court made a landmark decision which provided a casual employee of the labour hire firm Wor... Read more
Coronavirus and employer obligations As Queensland commences its first working day of a lockdown it is a good time to review your obligations as an employer.... Read more
Are we getting closer to mandating COVID 19 vaccination in workplaces? Recently, the Federal Government announced that it would become mandatory for employees in residential aged care to be v... Read more
Fair Work Commission releases 2021 wage decision On 16 June 2021 the Fair Work Commission (FWC) released its 2021 wage decision. A 2.5% increase will be applied to all ... Read more
Can employers require mandatory vaccination for employees? Recently, the issue of employer mandated vaccines was considered by the Fair Work Commission (FWC) in the context of an ... Read more
The Superannuation guarantee increases from 9.5% to 10% from 1 July 2021 The superannuation guarantee is an amount that an employer must pay into a superannuation account on behalf of each of t... Read more
Workplace sexual harassment – Employer responsibility is about to get more difficult What do employees need to do? Business owners, Directors and Senior Executives, have a legal obligation to ensure a safe... Read more
Statutory changes to casual employment Amendments to Fair Work Act, provide clarity on Casual Employment The meaning of Casual employment has been the subject ... Read more
2020 wage decision is now incorporated in all Awards On 19 June 2020 the Fair Work Commission (FWC) released its 2020 wage decision. The decision increased all Modern Awards... Read more
Predictions on the Hot employment topics for 2021 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 m... Read more
Working from home – is it the new normal?- Guidance for employers Covid 19 has much to answer for including for many people changing the look of their workplaces in the short or long ter... Read more
Workplace Sexual Harassment is a Board and Business Owner liability issue Sexual Harassment in the workplace has been unlawful for so long that you would think that we would have eradicated it b... Read more
Jobkeeper 2.0 – Implications for flexibility in employment The recent amendments to the Jobkeeper arrangements have changed more than just the monetary value of the Jobkeeper wage... Read more
Further updates to Jobkeeper 2.0 We have previously reported on the changes to the Jobkeeper wage subsidy, and in particular the movement from the curren... Read more
Covid 19 is no reason for taking your eye off the ball on wages compliance We are all being impacted in different ways by Covid 19. We are under pressures in running our businesses that have neve... Read more
Jobkeeper 2.0 – What we know and what it means for employers On 21 July 2020 the Federal Government announced the future plans for the Jobkeeper wage subsidy. The current program wi... Read more
Do you employ an Army, Navy or Air Force Reservist? If so, do you know your obligations as an Employer? Mazars HR is proudly an employer who supports Defence Reservists. In our experience, the benefits far outweigh the resp... Read more
Casual employment – one step closer to irrelevance? A decision of the Federal Court released on 21 May 2020, has further complicated our understanding of what is a casual e... Read more
Unfair dismissal application numbers soar during COVID-19 crisis Unfair dismissal applications to the Fair Work Commission are sharply rising. The substantial increase of 60% against th... Read more
Jobkeeper wage subsidy – how you can use the subsidy to engage your employees and build your business Jobkeeper applications opened with the ATO today, 20 April 2020. Those employers who are approved for the wage subsidy ... Read more
Jobkeeper wage subsidy – what does it mean for your business? On 8 April 2020 the Australian Parliament passed the legislation necessary to introduce the Jobkeeper wage subsidy. The ... Read more
New unpaid pandemic leave and half pay annual leave – FWC announces proposal to vary a large number of Awards On 1 April 2020, the Fair Work Commission (FWC) announced a preliminary view regarding the variation of many Modern Awar... Read more
Fair Work Commission announces temporary changes to Clerks – Private Sector Award 2010 The unprecedented circumstances imposed on us by COVID-19 has necessitated innovative solutions. The Fair Work Commissio... Read more
Coronavirus and employer obligations We are receiving many enquiries from clients regarding the obligations on employers where their employees or their busin... Read more
Annualised salary changes to some Awards – is your business prepared? In the wake of the alarmingly increasing number of employers being found to have underpaid their employees, the Fair Wor... Read more
Now is the time to make sure you are paying your employees correctly 2019 was full of high-profile cases where big and small businesses had failed to pay their employees correctly. Although... Read more
Deadline of 1 January looming for businesses to introduce whistleblower policy All public companies, large proprietary companies and corporate trustees of APRA regulated superannuation entities must ... Read more
If ASX listed companies like Woolworths have underpaid their staff – are you sure you haven’t too? Underpayment of wages revelations are coming thick and fast from the most unlikely sources – the big employers. Wo... Read more
Not keeping accurate records of time sheets and pay slips could cost you Filing out time sheets is boring! No one likes doing it, but not completing them substantively increases the risk for an... Read more
Mental health at work Today is World Mental Health Day and is therefore a good opportunity to consider mental health at work. We are often ask... Read more
Discipline Policy – A roadmap to avoid dismissal faux pas Recent decisions of the Fair Work Commission (FWC) have illustrated how important it is for employers to follow sound pr... Read more
Social Media Policy – A shield and a sword It’s vital to have a Social Media Policy in place and ensure your employees understand what it means, with social media ... Read more
Celebrity status no excuse for underpayment of wages Following an investigation by the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO), Made Establishment, celebrity chef George Calombaris’ hospi... Read more
When disciplining employees make sure you have all your ducks in a row A recent decision of the Fair Work Commission (FWC)[1] has once again reminded employers of the importance of ensuring c... Read more
National Wage to increase 3% from 1 July 2019 On 30 May 2019 the Fair Work Commission handed down the latest National Wage Case decision. This decision provides for a... Read more
How to manage mental health in the workplace Our workplaces are just like any other community and is a microcosm of the community at large. This includes employees w... Read more
FAQ series: Question 3 – I recently had reason to terminate the employment of an employee who was not performing. To buy certainty, we offered him a small additional sum of money in return for the signing of a Deed of Release. However, as he was leaving he told me he had outsmarted us as he was now going to make a claim for workers’ compensation. Can he do that given we paid him extra? The simple answer to the above question is yes, he may still make a claim for workers’ compensation. However, that does ... Read more
Employers must decide if they are a values-based organisation or not, it’s that simple Employers who want to promote themselves as a values-based organisation risk employee disengagement and reputational dam... Read more
Redundancy and redeployment – the Devil is in the detail A recent decision of the Fair Work Commission (FWC) highlights the importance of accurately documenting the redundancy p... Read more
FAQ series: Question 2 – I caught an employee taking money from the cash draw and I told him to get out there and then, and to not come back. He has now made an application for unfair dismissal, how can he do that, isn’t that a summary dismissal? There is never a time when it is appropriate to terminate the employment of an employee without giving them natural just... Read more
FAQ series : Question 1 – Must I cease a performance management process if someone says “I am stressed”? Unfortunately, there is no stock answer to this question. Being stressed by the process or the potential consequence of... Read more
Recruitment – right person, right fit People are the best asset to a business, therefore attracting, recruiting and retaining the right people is critical to ... Read more
What to do when everyone wants to take leave at the same time Sometimes public holidays fall in such a way that taking time off around the public holidays becomes a no brainer. The E... Read more
Employment record keeping – it really is worth the time and effort Keeping accurate and up to date employment records has always been important. However, the risks associated with not kee... Read more
Breach of Director liability results in prison term We often hear about Director liability and for most Directors it is an abstract concept that we think will never impact ... Read more
Narcissism in the workplace – real or imagined? I was recently reading an article which asserted that “narcissism is today’s biggest workplace problem”. If we are hones... Read more
Are you at risk of breaching a Modern Award? The Industrial Award system in Australia is extensive. The Modern Award system is intended to cover most work and theref... Read more
Inadequate HR is a reputational risk The number of reported cases citing poor HR practices has increased. This may well be because the cases of poor HR that ... Read more
Is enterprise bargaining the only way to achieve improved flexibility and productivity? I have been reflecting on when enterprise bargaining is an appropriate strategy for clients and when other options may b... Read more
Changes to flexible work legislation from 1 December 2018 There has been a concerted effort to increase employee entitlements to work flexibly. The Fair Work Commission has confi... Read more
Update on casual employment changes In our last update we advised that a second case had been filed in the Federal Court by a casual employee of labour hire... Read more
Reasonable management action must be taken in a reasonable way A recent decision of Comcare, the Commonwealth Workers Compensation Insurer, reminds all employers that it is not enough... Read more
The new Long Service Leave Act 2018 (Victoria) commences 1 November 2018 The new legislation, which was assented to on 15 May 2018, will change the operation of Long Service Leave for Victorian... Read more
Inadvertent underpayment or wage theft? What is wage theft I hear you ask. It’s a relatively new term being used to describe situations where an employer is un... Read more
Is your workplace mentally healthy? I was recently asked this question, and between you and me, I had to think how I would know if my workplace was mentally... Read more
Is your workplace culture shambolic? In a recent decision of the Fair Work Commission (FWC) the culture of one employer was referred to as both dysfunctional... Read more
Workplace investigations – Secret squirrel or robust and defendable? A recent decision of the Fair Work Commission (FWC) has confirmed that using a law firm to conduct a workplace investiga... Read more
When can a small business rely on the Small Business Fair Dismissal Code? Small businesses are not expected to have the same level of Human Resources expertise as larger businesses. This is refl... Read more
Smoke breaks – Are they a workplace right? Anyone who walks around the CBD will attest to the fact that there are still a plethora of employees who smoke. Entering... Read more
Are you inadvertently a labour hire service provider? Legislation has been introduced in some States to licence the providers of labour hire services. In Queensland, such ser... Read more
Important recent developments in casual employment A recent decision of the Full Federal Court has changed the way employers must look at casual employment. Prior to the ... Read more
Is workplace gossip affecting your business? Having the right culture in an organisation is vital to ensure overall high-performance and buy-in from your employees. ... Read more
It’s time to go…5 tips for a smooth termination If “it’s time to go” for an employee in your business then no doubt the task ahead is leaving you somewhat uncomfortable... Read more
Family and Domestic Violence Leave to be covered by Modern Awards The Fair Work Commission (FWC) has decided that workers covered by Modern Awards will now be able to access 5 days of un... Read more
