Published 31 January 2020 In this edition of our newsletter, we take a look at which modern awards are affected by the new annualised salary obligations and the potential operational impact on employers. Under the four yearly review of modern awards, the Fair Work Commission (the FWC) has rendered a decision last July that finalised…
Why Mental Health is an Employer’s Issue
Awareness of mental health has been growing and expanding in recent years, with good reason. Last year the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that around 45% of Australian’s between the ages of 16 and 85 will experience a mental health condition at some point in their lives. These statistics mean almost everyone in today’s society…
Sleeping Ferry Master was fairly sacked
Published 9 December 2019 Falling asleep at the job may not seem like a valid reason for dismissal in most cases, however the Fair Work Commission has upheld the dismissal of a Ferry Master who fell asleep whilst on duty. In Sclater v Transdev Harbour City Ferries Pty Ltd [2019] FWC 7968, the Fair Work Commission…
Podcast | Legal Issues Arising from Christmas Parties
Published 6 December 2019 As we rapidly approach the silly season, this episode of the podcast covers some important issues for employers, and employees, when organising and attending your upcoming end of year parties. You can listen to the podcast below, or by clicking the links to subscribe on your preferred streaming service: Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2YiRq5K Google…
Employee reinstated despite beers before shift
Published 29 November 2019 In a recent case the Fair Work Commission has reinstated an employee despite the employee returning a positive alcohol breath test over the company’s Drug and Alcohol Policy limit of 0.00. In Morcos v Serco Australia Pty Ltd [2019] FWC 7675, the Fair Work Commission has reinstated an employee despite the employee accepting a…
Work Christmas Parties – Employees May Risk More Than Their Dignity
The silly season is fast approaching and the annual work Christmas parties will be starting to happen. The combination of end-of-year cheer and alcohol can create some less than ideal situations for employers. Most employers will start the new year with a ‘forgive and forget’ attitude to the embarrassing dancing or terrible karaoke singing. It…