by Rob Stevenson | 10 February 2023 | Bulletin
“The Times They are a-Changin” – so goes the Bob Dylan song. The same is true of workplace relations in 2023 with the federal government putting on its reform running shoes. Federal Workplace Minister Tony Burke recently said his strategy is to lift the floor for...
by Rob Stevenson | 8 December 2022 | Bulletin
There are some common myths about modern industrial awards in our system of employment law; 1. Employers can agree with employees to “opt out” of an industrial award. Not correct. Awards apply as a matter of law and not choice. An employee can agree not to be subject...
by Rob Stevenson | 10 November 2022 | Bulletin
Apologies to Mark Twain but incentive schemes are like statistics; they can be open to manipulation. Often have we seen disgruntled employees whose expectations of large incentive payments have not been borne out, particularly when their employment has ended. The...
by Rob Stevenson | 6 October 2022 | Bulletin
Whenever employment is terminated, the first legal remedy to consider is a statutory unfair dismissal claim. We say “statutory” because the remedy only exists under legislation. There is no common law concept of unfair dismissal. At common law, employers can terminate...
by Rob Stevenson | 5 September 2022 | Bulletin
It is important to understand what you are signing up for when entering into a services and facilities agreement as a way of working. There are 2 primary ways that workers can be engaged – employment and contracting. However, it is not uncommon, particularly in the...
by Rob Stevenson | 8 August 2022 | Bulletin
Most people go into conciliation conferences in the Fair Work Commission thinking about the basic outcomes they want, whether it be reinstatement, a resignation, compensation or other non financial outcomes. A practical settlement at a conference often involves the...
