GL Insights
Charity registration – necessitous circumstances
To be registered as a charity, an organisation must have a charitable purpose or purposes. Charitable purpose has a legal definition, which is found in the Charities Act 2013 (Cth), and there are twelve different charitable purposes. In January 2024, the ACNC published the key factors it will consider in determining an organisation’s eligibility to …
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Fair Work Ombudsman taking action for underpayments and payslip breaches
Employers are reminded that the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) will take action where they believe employees are not receiving their entitlements. The FWO is currently seeking orders against a Melbourne based labour hire company, Oz ESDM Pty Ltd, to rectify an alleged underpayment of wages under the Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 and failure …
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Fair Work amendments: independent contractor or employee?
In February 2024, the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes No. 2) Act 2024 (the Act) re-introduced the “multifactorial” test for whether a worker is legally considered to be an independent contractor or an employee. That is, the Act requires an assessment of all of the circumstances of each work arrangement to be made in …
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OAIC Notifiable Data Breaches Report: Addressing third-party cyber risks
The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner’s (OAIC) recently released its latest notifiable data breaches report for July to December 2023, highlighting the continued risks of data breaches faced by organisations and third-parties. This is underscored by the notable increase in the volume of reported data breaches, increasing 19% since the previous reporting period.
The Right to Disconnect
In a bid to address the growing concerns of work-life balance and the intrusion of work into personal time, the right to disconnect amendment to the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (the Act) was passed by the House of Representatives on 12 February 2024.
Hearing Testing Requirements under WHS Regulations
The model Work Health and Safety Regulations introduced new requirements for audiometric testing which commenced on from 1 January 2024. The relevant provisions are mirrored in all jurisdictions, except for Western Australia and Queensland, which have not adopted the relevant testing requirements as included in the Model Work Health and Safety Regulations.
How your organisation can use AI systems securely
The Australian Cyber Security Centre recently released a publication, in collaboration with international partners, to provide guidance for organisations on how to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems securely, including identifying key risks and how to mitigate them.
Changes to government administration of not-for-profit organisations deductible gift recipient status
07/04/2025 From 1 January 2024, there is a new process for not-for-profit (NFP) organisations wishing to apply for deductible gift recipient endorsement (DGR) from the Australian government. This change is designed to streamline the administration and review of DGR eligibility. DGR endorsement means that donations received by the NFP to support its organisation may be …
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Zombie Agreement Termination
Employers need to be aware that from 7 December 2023, all zombie agreements, other than those for which the Fair Work Commission has granted an extension, have been replaced by relevant modern awards made by the Fair Work Commission (FWC) under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (Fair Work Act).
Superannuation under the National Employment Standards
As of 1 January 2024 the National Employment Standards (NES) include a right to superannuation for national system employees. The Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Protecting Worker Entitlements) Act 2023 has amended the Fair Work Act 2009 by, among other things, requiring national system employers to make contributions to a superannuation fund for the benefit of …
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