Tag: Employment

Fair Work Australia have made a decision to increase minimum and award wages by 2.5% and this increase is effective from the first full pay period after 1 July 2015. Fair Work have decided that the minimum wage will increase by 2.5% to $656.90 The Federal weekly minimum full time wage will increase to $656.90 […]

It’s that time of year again where businesses gear up for their busiest period. For many retail establishments, hiring Christmas casual staff is the only way to get through this increased workload effectively. It’s also the time when many teenagers get their first job. It can be tempting to let things slide when work life […]

Employing casual staff is a great way for the small business owner to get the help they need, when they need it, without committing to ongoing wage costs. Just like a romance it can be like a rollercoaster! Casual Employment is like a new romance – you don’t know when or if you will see […]

An increase of platform work in the ‘gig economy’ signals a shift away from Australia’s standard employment model. The gig economy is a labour market comprising of independent contractors, online platform workers, contract firm workers, on-call workers and temporary workers. Most notable for its flexible nature, gig work offers individuals an alternative to a conventional […]

A restraint of trade clause is a term commonly included in employment contracts. It operates to protect your confidential information, trade secrets, business operations and client relationships. We use them because losing an ex-employee to a competitor or having an employee set up a competing business could cause significant damage to your business. Generally speaking, […]

The term ‘casual worker’ is not a precise legal term but rather a colloquial expression. Although a precise definition eludes the term ‘casual’, it is accepted that a casual is hired on an informal, uncertain and irregular basis. So what is a fair casual employee definition? Bar staff or shop assistants who are never exactly […]

Recruitment agencies have become part of our employment landscape in Australia particularly in the mining, IT, professional industries and public sector.  Short term labour hire agencies also serve a useful purpose. Many corporations are choosing to outsource their recruitment needs.  One perceived benefit for employers is that a recruitment agent can tap into an already […]

Social Media is growing fast, and it’s being used by ever increasing numbers of people both privately and for business. Employers need to offer strong guidance on social media use for their employees, preferably through a written social media policy and ongoing training. There are several recent court cases that concern social media use, unfair […]

In the recent case of Cameron Little v Credit Corp Group Limited t/as Credit Corp Group (U2013/11522), Credit Corp Group’s adherence to the correct protocol for employee terminations made it easier for the FWC to conclude that the dismissal of Cameron Little was lawful. Credit Corp Group followed these four steps, they provided:- Employee education […]

Many employers choose to engage an employee as a “contractor” to save the additional costs that can come with hiring permanent or part-time employees. But is it really your choice? Whether a worker is an employee or contractor is determined by a number of factors with no one factor necessarily conclusive. As the payer, it’s […]