GL Insights
Businesses must be completely transparent to consumers, says ACCC
The Australian funeral services sector has attracted the attention of the ACCC for all the wrong reasons. Propel Funeral Partners Ltd (Propel), a publicly listed company, has been ordered to pay penalties for misleading consumers about the ownership of its funeral homes. Two Propel-owned funeral homes, one in Taree and another in Townsville, have been …
Read more
Governance Manuals – should your organisation have one?
Whether your organisation is a company limited by guarantee, not for profit or start-up, a Governance Manual, or Governance Charter, could prove useful in the short and long term operation of your organisation. What is a Governance Manual? A Governance Manual is a central document which contains information about most aspects of the operations and …
Read more
When do you have to register for a Director Identification Number? It could be now.
The Director Identification Number is now in place. From 1 November 2021 new directors of companies must apply for a Director ID immediately, and existing directors need to confirm the deadline for their Director ID registration.
Respect @ Work Reforms – Stop Sexual Harassment Orders
With the recent passing of the Sex Discrimination and Fair Work (Respect at Work) Amendment Act 2021 (Cth), applications can be made from 11 November 2021 to the Fair Work Commission for a Stop Sexual Harassment Order if an employee reasonably believes that they have been sexually harassed at work.
Owners of social media pages responsible for all comments posted
A recent ruling by the High Court of Australia found that media companies were liable for comments posted on their social media pages. It was upheld that media companies, in facilitating and encouraging comments on posts, will render them as publishers of those comments. Clear recommendations are for all businesses, organisations running social media accounts …
Read more
2021 AGM Season: Use of Technology – Will Covid-19 Provisions Become Permanent?
During the Covid Crisis, the Government has twice had to introduce changes to allow companies to meet and carry out key functions such as executing documents without breaching public health orders. While there are provisions in place to allow the 2021 AGM season to proceed, permanent changes to the Corporations Act are currently under consideration.
COVID-19 response measures regarding retail and commercial lease disputes and assistance for commercial landlords
A new declaration has been released which requires landlords to negotiate in good faith with tenants who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and breached lease provisions as a result. The ACT government is also providing assistance to commercial landlords who have provided rent relief to tenants.
Working from home? Maybe you need a PIA
In 2021, remote working is not a foreign concept to any of us. To stop the spread of COVID-19 many offices across Australia and the world have had to adapt and ask their employees to work from home. In the beginning, working from home (WFH) meant sleep-ins and attending zoom meetings in your pyjamas but …
Read more
Privacy Act under highly anticipated review
The Federal Government last year released the terms of reference for a proposed review of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (the Act). The Australian Information Commissioner and Privacy Commissioner, Angelene Faulk, has praised the proposed review as a “landmark opportunity” to update Australia’s privacy landscape and ensure it is equipped to respond to the “new …
Read more
Notifiable Data Breaches – 6 months of lessons from the OAIC
Notifiable Data Breaches Report (July-December 2020) The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) has released its twice-yearly report on notifiable data breaches reported in the second half of 2020 539 data breaches were notified to the OAIC under the Notifiable Data Breach Scheme (NDB Scheme) in the second half of last year, with 38% …
Read more