The perils of mixing employment and business

by | 7 September 2021 | Bulletin

The promise of future equity So, you’ve had an offer to work in a business in return for the promise of future equity, maybe with a small wage. Usually these sorts of offers will come with so many ifs, buts and maybes as to be meaningless. The standard rules apply –...

The pros and cons of conciliation of workplace claims

by | 5 August 2021 | Bulletin

A barrister once said to me “There aren’t as many trials as there used to be” and he was right. The cost, delay and uncertainty of outcome generally make “going to court” undesirable. Together with the increasing load on an under resourced court/tribunal system, this...

Are you up to date with the minimum wage?

by | 30 June 2021 | Bulletin

Now is a good time to make sure you are meeting (or being paid!) your minimum pay obligations!  The Fair Work Commission handed down its Annual Wage Review decision on 16 June. The FWC Panel decided to increase the National Minimum Wage and all modern award rates of...

Casual employment just became simpler, or did it?

by | 4 May 2021 | Bulletin

How do you tell whether someone is a casual employee? For a period, the concept was defined artificially under industrial awards and enterprise agreements. More recently, the courts have said that the defining element of casual employment is its uncertainty. This...

Wages fundamentals for dummies

by | 19 March 2021 | Bulletin

It’s clear that there is confusion about the basics of wages and entitlements obligations amongst employees and employers (including large ones). All adult employees from the lowliest clerk to the most senior CEO are required to be paid at least a minimum wage rate...