The Australian Fair Work Commission (FWC) increased the national minimum wage and modern award minimum wages by 3%, effective 1 July 2019. Background For the past few years, the government of Australia has been increasing the minimum wage to a […]
The Australian government passed legislation that aims to make private health insurance easier to understand and more affordable for consumers. The Private Health Insurance Legislation Amendment Act 2018 (the Act) received royal assent on 21 September 2018, and was followed […]
The Australian federal government amended the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Rules 2018 by introducing a new definition of “catastrophic injuries” at the workplace, which may affect workers’ compensation claims. The definition now includes spinal cord, brain, amputation, burn and blindness […]
On 6 December 2018, the Australian Parliament passed the Fair Work Amendment Bill 2018, which is currently awaiting Royal Assent. The new bill introduces a five-day, unpaid family and domestic violence leave within a 12-month period. The new leave is […]
Changes to Victoria’s long service leave (LSL) statutes take effect 1 November 2018. The changes provide greater flexibility to women, families and employees transitioning to retirement. The service period for entitlement to LSL has been reduced from ten years to […]
The Modern Slavery Act, which passed 27 June 2018, targets extreme working conditions, including low pay, long hours and the absence of rest days. Employers with at least one employee and a minimum turnover of AUD 50 million are required […]
New legislation that took effect at the end of January 2018 requires bargaining representatives to disclose to employees in detail any personal financial benefits arising from enterprise agreements before they are voted on. Noncompliance with the new disclosure requirement could […]
Deceased workers’ dependents On 20 June 2018, amendments to the workers compensation act increased the lump sum for dependents of deceased workers from AUD 308,339 to AUD 570,768 (250 percent of the annually indexed Prescribed Amount), the weekly child allowance […]
The Australian Minister for revenue and financial services announced an amnesty period during which employers can self-correct past noncompliance with superannuation guarantee requirements. The amnesty agreement will be available for a 12-month period from 24 May 2018, to 23 May […]
The Treasury Laws Amendment (2018 Measures No. 4) Bill, which is currently before the House, states that from 1 July 2018, employers who underpay or fail to pay their employees’ superannuation will not only face financial penalties but also up […]