Penalty rates are a critical issue for Australian businesses – they already make up a significant proportion of many organisations’ total labour costs. Penalty rates will take on even higher importance in the future, as Australians continue the move towards working ‘flexibly’ – which often means performing work outside the traditional ‘business hours’ of 9am to 5pm, and regularly working at night, on weekends and during public holidays.
Continue Reading Who will score from the ‘penalty’ spot?
modern award
Enterprise award modernisation process kicks off in earnest
By Michael Tamvakologos & Darren Perry on
Posted in HR/IR Strategy, Workplace policy and process
Right through to the end of 2013, many unions and a number of employers applied to the Fair Work Commission (FWC) for a modern enterprise award. Where such an application is successful, a modern enterprise award would cover employees rather than one of the 122 industry or occupational modern awards that the FWC made between 2008 and 2010.
Continue Reading Enterprise award modernisation process kicks off in earnest
Another round of modern award reviews coming in 2014
By Ben Dudley, Justine Turnbull & Rachel Bernasconi on
Posted in HR/IR Strategy
The ink has barely dried on the last round of variations to modern awards resulting from the 2 yearly review commenced by the FWC in 2012, but the 4 yearly modern award review is just around the corner. The review is proposed to be conducted in 4 stages with around 30 awards in each stage. It is estimated that each stage will take around 4 to 6 months (with some stages overlapping) and the process is expected to conclude in mid-2015.
Continue Reading Another round of modern award reviews coming in 2014