The Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA) is urging small businesses to stay informed about significant industrial relations (IR) changes taking effect today, impacting casual employees, contractors, and the right to disconnect outside of work hours.
COSBOA recently launched the Small Business Peak Program in Hobart to help SMEs navigate these updates. The program provides tailored resources to guide businesses through the complex IR changes in a practical, easy-to-understand format.
“Our Small Business Peak Program provides employers with information and guidance on minimum workplace rights and responsibilities. This includes today’s IR changes. These changes affect casual jobs, the ability to switch to part-time or full-time work and fundamental rules about communication within the workplace.” COSBOA CEO Luke Achterstraat said.
Key changes under the Closing Loopholes No. 2 Act include:
- A new definition of casual employment
- Casual conversion rights
- A right to disconnect for businesses with 15 or more employees
Additionally, more changes taking effect in August 2024 will impact unfair contract terms, workplace delegate rights, and regulations for employee-like workers.
A recent national survey highlighted widespread unawareness among businesses about these updates:
- 64.7% were unaware of casual conversion requirements
- 70.5% didn’t know about changes to minimum standards for employee-like workers
- 63.6% were uninformed about the right to disconnect
“The research highlights the low levels of awareness in the business community about the IR changes. This was reflected across all industry sectors, and demonstrates why Small Business Peak is so critical to the small business community.” said Achterstraat.
The Program has free downloadable toolkits and step-by-step guides in plain English, that explain the latest workplace changes, with timelines, implementation checklists and some case studies to help simplify the complex nature of these changes.
“Think of Small Business Peak as your workplace companion in simplifying IR complexities, allowing you to focus on what you do best – growing your business.” Achterstraat said.
To learn more about Small Business Peak, small businesses are encouraged to visit www.smallbusinesspeak.org.au.
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