On Labour Day the Queensland Premier announced the introduction of a new licensing regime for labour hire operators. The stated purpose of the new laws is to “crack-down on rogue operators who are exploiting and mistreating vulnerable workers.”1 The new measures follow an inquiry by the..
Read MoreSuperannuation is complicated and it’s not surprising that businesses can get it “super wrong”. Your business could be paying too much super, or too little. Read on to find out more… We have advised small, medium and large businesses for many years. The two common mistakes that busin..
Read MoreThe long awaited decision by the Fair Work Commission was handed down yesterday as part of its 4 yearly review of awards and penalty rates. The FWC decided to reduce Sunday penalty rates and public holiday penalty rates in awards covering the hospitality, retail, fast food and pharmacy sectors. ..
Read MoreTraining, signage and personal protective equipment (PPE) are some of the more visible and “go to” risk control measures adopted throughout workplaces. These types of controls are often the first that come to mind because they are more visible, more easily recognised and easier to implement ..
Read MoreWith the recent liquidations of a number of building companies, it is timely to discuss what can happen when a Liquidator attempts to claw back money paid by that company as an unfair preference payment. The Corporations Act 2001 provides the basis for all claims of unfair preferences. Thank..
Read MoreIt seems like every week we hear a new story where a business owner has had a former employee either: Steal their customers; Steal their staff; or Steal their systems or other intellectual property. In some cases, customers, staff and intellectual property have all been targeted. ..
Read MoreLast week, the Queensland Parliament passed the Industrial Relations Bill 2016. This Bill is to commence operation in early 2017, as the Industrial Relations Act 2016 (IRA 2016). The IRA 2016, repeals and replaces the current Industrial Relations Act 1999. In doing so it mostly adopts the ex..
Read MoreA recent and important legislative amendment in Queensland removed the limitation period for actions for damages for personal injury resulting from child sexual abuse. This reform is particularly relevant to employers who could be vicariously liable to victims who, as a result of the employer’s
Read MoreRecent amendments to the Workers Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 (Qld) significantly affect indemnity clauses in service agreements. The amendment is especially important for contractors and labour hire businesses that use or supply labour into the mining and construction industries. ..
Read MoreOn 12 November 2016, new unfair contract laws come into force. They offer opportunities for contractors but also pose some risks. Contracts affected The new laws apply to certain ‘standard form contracts’ entered into on or after 12 November 2016. The laws also apply to any terms of exist..
Read MoreImagine paying an employee an annualised salary well above their award wage only to have the employee pursue a claim for unpaid award entitlements after they leave. You might think this will never happen to you because your employment contract expressly provides that all and any award allowa..
Read MoreLabour hire businesses face a dilemma when the relationship between the labour hire business’s worker and host employer breaks down to the extent that the host employer demands that the worker is removed from site, or even revokes the permission for that worker to attend at the site. In the ..
Read MoreIn just over 8 weeks, amendments to the Australian Consumer Law will take affect and will open the field for certain contractual terms to be challenged by parties negatively affected by standard form contracts or if a party to the contract is a small business. What contracts does this apply..
Read MoreStandards of behavior expected of employees can be a difficult thing to navigate, particularly behavior that leads to termination of employment. Whether words are said in a moment of frustration, to add emphasis to a message, or over a series of events, one thing is clear from recent Fair Work d..
Read MoreWe are all waiting to see who actually wins this election. While we wait, employers can look at what the world might hold for them on the workplace relations front under each party. Labor Government If the Labor Party manages to form Government, the affect on employers will probably lar..
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