Employment Legislation

Eligible businesses in the social and community sector would have received their first pay rise in December 2012 after the government’s ‘top up’ of employee wages.

Attracting and retaining the best talent is vital for businesses of all sizes, and ensuring you are up to date with employment legislation is a necessity for all business owners.

Accidents happen. If one of your employees gets injured, it can have a big impact on your business. Following some simple rules can make all the difference when you have a workers compensation claim.

Although generally employers and employees want the same things from a super fund, there are some key differences to take into account when choosing the default super fund for an organisation. Consider these four important points when deciding on a fund for your staff.

Employment contracts are common practice and serve as a written agreement between employer and employee. Surprisingly, many employers still engage employees without any finalised terms of employment.

WorkSafe have found that safety in many SMBs isn’t delegated to a responsible party, and is instead juggled on an ad hoc basis. This lack of planning has far-reaching impacts on a business’ ability to cut costs, especially WorkCover premiums. Here’s how to integrate workplace safety into your other business functions.

When investigating a workplace incident or situation that could have a detrimental effect on the rights, interests or expectations of an employee, procedural fairness must apply. This is especially true if the action is likely to lead to the termination or demotion of the employee. Here’s how to ensure procedural fairness factors in your workplace investigations.

Controls on loss of product through theft and accident are especially important when margins are tight. SMBs are exposed to loss in a number of ways, so here are some expert tips for how this issue is best managed.

In a bid to lessen the complexities around business owner’s roles and responsibilities to OHS, WorkSafe has developed the ‘Seven Pillars of Safety’. The first pillar sets out clear top down responsibility, delegation and KPI’s for OHS and Return To Work (RTW). How well does your business measure up?

As of 1 October, the provision of a Living Away From Home Allowance (LAFHA) will be treated as income to employees and businesses will need to assess entitlements and employment terms and conditions under the new rules. Here’s what you need to know about managing the allowance.

As with most IR topics, enterprise bargaining has taken its fair share of beatings. Employer groups continue to call for tighter controls and unions call for loosening of the chains. But what will the next era hold for this contentious industrial relations issue?

All SMBs should integrate workplace safety into business management systems, practice prevention rather than reaction and show commitment from owners to the process. Use the seven pillars of safety as a guideline to making this happen in your business.

The national minimum wage rose yesterday, following on from a Fair Work decision last month to boost the pay packets of the country’s lowest paid workers.

So, you’ve heard about Gina Rinehart’s deal to bring 1715 temporary foreign construction workers to her Roy Hill mine, but what do you know about your own ability to employ foreign workers? You may be surprised to learn that you don’t need to be a mining magnate to access highly skilled foreign workers.

We’ve all encountered a workplace monster. They’re not always easy to spot as their behaviour isn’t clear in the beginning – as many a monster befriends their target, lures them into their web and then starts their attack when it’s least expected. If the bullying monster is rife in your workplace, use these tips to stamp it out.

Cross-state employers who aren’t aware of protected grounds of discrimination across the various states and territories risk facing legal action from terminated employees, as well as brand and reputation damage.

Discrimination and equal opportunity laws apply in all parts of Australia, putting the onus on employers to make workplaces free of discrimination, including sexual harassment. How up to date are you on amendments made to the legislation last year? Here’s what every employer needs to know.

Important new Workplace Health and Safety Laws commenced around Australia on 1 January 2012, and now almost six months on, businesses should take another look at the legislation and ensure they’re complying or risk fines of up to $3 million.

As flexible working becomes a reality for many businesses around the country, SMB owners should know their legal position in regard to employee requests for changes in work arrangements.

Awareness of mental illness may have increased, but Australian businesses are still failing to recognise and manage mental health risk in the workplace, according to new research.