GL Insights
FWO Focuses on Hospitality Underpayment & Compliance Obligations
On 13 July 2020, Sandra Parker, the current Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO), announced the main strategic priorities for the 2020/2021 Financial Year are to address corporate underpayments and assist workplaces through the Covid-19 pandemic. The priority to address underpayment of employees will focus on several specified industries, including the hospitality industry. This might seem harsh …
Read more
Workplace Meme Culture: Satire Not Grounds for Dismissal says FWC
The internet has been an area of controversy in employment law for a number of years. Many late-night rants and political outbursts have been the subject of unfair dismissal proceedings. What we post on social media can easily be viewed by our employers. It often has a direct bearing on our employment when content is …
Read more
Doors open to casual worker leave entitlements following landmark court ruling
Recently, the Federal Court handed down its highly-anticipated employment decision in WorkPac Pty Ltd v Rossato [2020] FCAFC 84. The decision concerned an employee of the labour-hire company known as WorkPac. The employee had been employed by WorkPac through a number of consecutive casual employment agreements for mining projects in Queensland. The employee entered into …
Read more
Director Identification Numbers Bill has passed
All company directors will soon be required to apply to ASIC to obtain their own unique Director Identification Number (DIN). The Treasury Laws Amendment (Registries Modernisation and Other Measures) Bill (the Amendment), part of the Government’s legislative package to introduce the Commonwealth Registers Act, has now passed both houses of parliament. Pending royal assent, it …
Read more
Informal Wills
The recent case of In the Estate of Jansen [2020] ACTSC 130 (26 May 2020) underscores the importance of obtaining legal advice in relation to the proper execution of Wills. In this case, a document in the conventional form of a Will did not meet the formal requirements of the Wills Act 1968 (ACT) (Wills …
Read more
Australians beware: ACCC reports rise in COVID-19 related scams
The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) has recorded an alarming rise in scams and phishing activity since the outbreak of COVID-19. It seems scammers are taking advantage of the situation by trying to trick individuals into handing over money or personal information in support of crisis efforts. How do I know it’s a scam? …
Read more
Fair Work implements additional measures to protect Modern Awards in light of COVID-19
The Full Bench of the Fair Work Commission (FWC) have determined by hearing on 8 April 2020 to amend modern awards to accommodate for the COVID-19 pandemic. This comes following the provisional views of the FWC released at the start of the month detailing their views on the impact of COVID-19 on employment arrangements. What …
Read more
COVID-19: Mandatory Code of Conduct for Commercial Leases
On Tuesday, 7 April 2020 the Commonwealth Government released a Mandatory Code of Conduct (the Code) containing a set of principles aimed at commercial tenancies to address the COVID-19 pandemic. States and Territories are to legislate the Code which would implement a set of good faith leasing principles that governs commercial tenancies including retail, office …
Read more
COVID-19 and the residential tenancies shake up
Countless Australians are facing financial hardship in the wake of significant coronavirus (COVID-19)-related job loss. Despite the tenant-landlord relationship largely being governed by individual Rental Agreements, the Federal Government have announced some crucial changes to help vulnerable tenants during these tough times. On March 29, the Prime Minister released a statement anticipating the threat of …
Read more
Temporary change to obligations of incorporated associations
The States and Territories have introduced some temporary changes affecting incorporated associations. The changes are in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and are to accommodate for new social distancing laws. Incorporated associations in the ACT ACT-based incorporated associations have been granted a 3-month extension on their Annual General Meeting (AGM) requirements, applicable up until 30 …
Read more