Published 27 June 2016 An appeal to gain access to documents was denied after the Fair Work Commission ruled the documents were protected by legal professional privilege and this privilege had not been waived. Mr Kirkman made an appeal against the Commissioner’s decision to deny him access to several documents regarding a workplace investigation report, […]

Published 26 June 2016 A woman whose employment as a solicitor was terminated for repeated unexplained absences, which resulted from domestic violence, was awarded $11,064.28 in compensation after the Fair Work Commission found the dismissal was unfair. King was employed by Lee and Lyons, a law firm, on 15 December 2014. On 19 December, King […]

Published 26 June 2016 The Industrial Relations Court found Trainee and Apprentice Placement Service Inc had a shared health and safety duty to their employee after placing him with a host employer and was fined $12,000 for failing to uphold this duty. Mr Reynolds had been placed with a host employer, Shear Edge Roofing, by […]

Published 26 June 2016 AIMG BQ Pty Ltd was ordered to pay $272,850 in pecuniary penalties and the director of the company was ordered to pay $8,160 in pecuniary penalties by the Federal Circuit Court of Australia for denying two employees minimum entitlements. AIMG BQ Pty Ltd (AIMG) contravened 20 separate provisions in the Fair […]

Published 9 May 2016 Myth-Busting Claims About Casual Employees Casual employees are a valuable asset for many businesses as they provide the flexibility to cover shifts when other staff are sick or on leave, mean that there is someone to cover otherwise unpopular shifts and allow the business to react to increased customer demand at […]

Published 28 March 2016 The Productivity Commission handed down its report into the workplace relations framework on 21 December 2015. The report concludes that the current industrial relations system is largely working well, but that it does require some tweaks to address the issue of balance between parties with interests in the workplace. The Productivity […]