Last Tuesday, October 23, 2018, union rallies were held in Melbourne and Sydney in support of the Australian Council of Trade Union’s (‘ACTU’) “change the rules” campaign. The protests followed a series of national TV and radio advertisements launched in early October. The “change the rules” campaign is seeking to “re-balance the system and negotiate…
Tag: National Employment Standards
Refusal to Employ
Employers are required to walk a tight-rope every time they hire a new employee. The Fair Work Provisions that prohibit discrimination against prospective employees are broad. However, in reality, these situations are almost impossible to enforce. Discrimination is an essential aspect of the human condition. We ‘discriminate’ thousands of times a day. When we choose the…
Growing support for a workplace response to domestic violence
Violence against women is now recognised as a serious and widespread problem in Australia. Whilst awareness has increased of domestic violence as a community issue, there is still much to be done to support victims. 2017 saw an increase in support for a workplace response to family violence, through the inclusion of family and domestic…
Flexibility at work. Are we throwing the baby out with the bathwater?
‘Flexibility’ has always been an aspect of workplace law, and a key obligation on employers. It is both essential to anti discrimination law, as well as a key element of ‘a fair go all round’ – a fundamental tenet of Australian workplace law for half a century. The flexibility provisions in the National Employment Standards do little but to…
Internships – are they legal?
When discussing Industrial relations, an issue that has often fallen through the cracks is that of internships. In many sought after and prestigious professions (including law – see my previous post on this here) it has become commonplace to expect prospective employees to give their time to employers without remuneration. Generally, other than in specific…