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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? …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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Five new powers of employers

The five new powers of employers Employers who qualify for the JobKeeper Scheme (a JobKeeper employer) now have the ability to take certain actions when their employees cannot be usefully employed due to COVID-19. This includes: standing down employees; reducing employees’ hours of work; directing employees to undertake certain duties, which may differ from their …
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To be or not to be – the next Annual General Meeting (AGM)

As a result of the Corona Virus Outbreak (COVID-19) and social isolation restrictions, many organisations are finding it impossible hold their AGM. For companies with a financial year end of 31 December, AGMs are generally required to be held by 31 May. However, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has relaxed this requirement. ASIC …
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Global pandemic is no excuse, employers obligated to protect health and safety of employees

With an increase in the number of people working from home or working remotely because of COVID-19, it is important for employers to understand that their work health and safety (WHS) obligations have not ceased. Now more than ever, employers should refresh themselves on their responsibilities when it comes to ensuring their staff maintain a …
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COVIDSafe: The latest government app and what it means for your privacy

The Federal Government have just released their highly anticipated COVIDSafe App to help monitor the spread of novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). Of key concern to many is the privacy implications of downloading and using the App. There is much discussion regarding how much data the App collects, who can access the data and how that data …
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