Commencing 26 July, 2021 it will be illegal to hold a mobile phone in your hand or have it resting on any part of your body, including in your lap, when driving. This applies even if you’re stopped in traffic. The phone does not need to be in use or even turned on for this to be an offence.
Read MoreIn the last four articles we discussed what information a Seller should disclose to a Buyer when selling property and the potential consequences of failing to do so. In addition to the points already discussed, Sellers and Buyers should also take note of the following where the property being sold/purchased includes a dwelling with a swimming pool..
Read MoreIt is possible that any improvements on the land (ie. houses and sheds) may not be lawfully occupied unless a Final Building Certificate has issued.
Read MoreIn the last two articles we discussed what information a Seller should disclose to a Buyer when selling property and the potential consequences of failing to do so. In addition to the points already discussed in the last two issues, Sellers and Buyers should take note of the following…
Read MoreIn our previous newsletter, we started discussing some of the common issues that Sellers must disclose to Buyers and what happens to the sale when they are missed. This article, we will continue the discussion on disclosures that need to be made to Buyers when selling property. Advers..
Read MoreWhen selling property, there are a few disclosures that you may need to make to a Buyer before you enter into a Contract. Failure to provide these disclosures could mean that the Buyer can walk away from the Contract at any time up to the settlement date or worse – they could have rights to sue ..
Read MoreThe Queensland Government passed new legislation, which came into effect on 1 July, 2020, which seeks to impose heavy penalties on companies, their executives and their senior employees personally for workplace deaths arising from negligence (industrial manslaughter). These laws are similar to I..
Read MoreFrom 1 July, 2021 the income and compensation caps for unfair dismissal claims will increase, along with filing fees for lodging an unfair dismissal application. The high income threshold rises from $153,600 to $158,500; The compensation cap increases from $76,800 to $79,250; The filing ..
Read MoreThe Fair Work Commission (FWC) has granted a 2.5% wages increase to minimum pay and award wage workers from 1 July 2021. The FWC has lifted the national minimum wage by $18.80 to $772.60 per week (or $20.33 an hour) for a full time employee. The flow on effect to Awards is a 2.5% in..
Read MoreFrom 1 July 2021, the super guarantee rate will rise from 9.5% to 10%. All employers will need to ensure they have updated their payroll systems ready for 1 July to reflect this increase. Employers can be subject to interest and penalties for underpayments of super contributions to th..
Read MoreOn 22 March, the long-awaited changes to the Fair Work Act (FW Act) in relation to casual employees were passed. Since the recent Federal Court decisions of Workpac Pty Ltd v Skene* and Workpac v Rossato**,employers have been exposed to “double dipping” claims by casuals for permanent entitl..
Read MoreWhether you: are buying or selling a house, already own a house that you live in, are building or substantially renovating a house, or own investment properties, you should make sure you are aware of the current and upcoming Smoke Alarm Laws. From 1 January 2017, ..
Read MoreHighlighting the breadth of an employer’s responsibility for bullying at work, Allianz has been held liable by a NSW court for the deliberate actions of a senior manager who verbally and physically bullied a claimant for over 14 months, even though the court found that Allianz was not negligent[..
Read MoreThe Federal Government has announced a new Bill with significant changes to industrial law including: changes to casual employment: a definition of casual employment; criteria for when employers must offer permanent employment; and anti-double dipping provisions by which employers can..
Read MoreIn a novel general protections dispute the Federal Court has affirmed the rights of workers to have a toilet break! A McDonald’s franchisee, Tantex Holdings Pty Ltd, has been fined $82,000 in total by the Federal Court of Australia for multiple breaches of the Fair Work Act (“the Act”) in fa..
Read MoreImportant new changes to Queensland’s guardianship laws took place on 30 November, 2020. Among various other reforms to the laws, the Queensland Government have issued new Enduring Power of Attorney and Advance Health Directive forms.
Read MoreIt’s time again to unwind and thank employees at the long-awaited Christmas Party! But at risk of being the Grinch, a Christmas party is still a work function. Employers still owe a duty of care to their employees and employees can still be expected to behave appropriately to each other. ..
Read MoreRecently the Federal Court of Australia awarded damages in the sum of $875,000 against Karen Brewer, a New Zealand based online conspiracy theorist, for publishing a series of defamatory posts and videos on Facebook earlier this year. The posts published by Brewer claimed that the applic..
Read MoreWage theft is now a crime in Queensland after new laws were passed on 9 September, 2020. These new laws could see employers prosecuted, and even face up to 10 years jail time, for deliberately underpaying or withholding entitlements from their workers. Importantly, the new laws also pro..
Read MoreTwo recent cases in the media involving squatters have demonstrated how things can go wrong when you don’t take the proper steps to protect your property rights.
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