The Federal Government’s new National Employment Standards were released yesterday and the verdict is that it will be a boon for employees, especially new parents, but less so for employers.
The standards guaranteed 10 basic rights for all employees including penalty rates for weekends and public holidays and a right to redundancy pay. Working parents will be able to claim 12 months unpaid parental leave each, reclaim their previous role when they return to work and request flexible working arrangements.
While unions and working families approved of the standards, employers have been less enthusiastic; CEO of the Australia Chamber of Commerce and Industry Peter Anderson commented that the rights could prove expensive and deputy Opposition leader Julie Bishop said too much was worded vaguely.
"They are very clumsily worded, the term 'reasonable' or 'unreasonable' is littered throughout the 10 national employment standards," she said. "Businesses will have to engage a lawyer to help them work out what is reasonable or unreasonable in dozens of circumstances."
View the standards at: www.workplace.gov.au
