Thank you to those who joined our Employment Law webinar today, it was a very successful session! The webinar was presented by Michael Bishop, Amelita Hensman and Ben Drysdale of our firm. The following topics were discussed: Flexible Working Arrangements - Can employers resist working from home requests in the [...]
We are pleased to note that Thomas Abraham of our firm has recently been appointed into the Law Institute of Victoria’s State Taxes Committee. Thomas looks forward to further involvement in discussing law and policy related to the administration of taxes by the State Revenue Office (“SRO”). Prior to commencing at [...]
Thank you to those who joined the webinar yesterday, it was a successful session! The webinar was presented by Amelita, Michael, Ben and Jess covering the following topics: The extension of power for employers to issue JobKeeper directions reducing staff hours; Redundancy generally and the impact of COVID-19; and Working [...]
In our Employment Update dated 9 April 2020 we wrote about the unprecedented legislation which had been passed enabling employers eligible for JobKeeper to issue directions to staff requiring them to work reduced hours or be stood down completely. That legislation had a sunset date of 27 September 2020. The [...]
There have been a number of high profile sexual harassment cases in the news recently and interestingly the combination of Coronavirus, working from home and the recent cases are encouraging more workplace sexual harassment complaints. Victoria’s equal opportunity Commissioner has reported that sexual harassment complaints are up about 8 per [...]
As Victoria enters a new period of stage 4 restrictions, employers must consider the impact on their workplace. Pointon Partners are able to assist employers with relevant issues including stand down, COVID-specific OH&S requirements and the availability of work permits for certain industries. Reliance on JobKeeper powers For those employers [...]
An employer that issued a JobKeeper enabling stand down direction, reducing an employee’s hours by 40 per cent has been ordered by the Fair Work Commission to amend the reduction to just 20 per cent. The Commission held that the direction was unreasonable because of its “overwhelmingly precautionary” nature.¹ JobKeeper [...]
In 1989, former Prime Minister Paul Keating boasted for being able to garner public support for difficult reforms when he pronounced: “I’ll guarantee if you walk into any pet shop in Australia, the resident galah will be talking about micro-economic policy.” Thirty years on, with the initial headwinds of the [...]
The Federal Court in its decision in Communications, Electrical, Electronic, Energy, Information, Postal, Plumbing and Allied Services Union of Australia v Qantas Airways Limited [2020] FCA 656, handed down on 18 May 2020, has ruled definitively that employees are not entitled to be paid personal/carer’s leave (ss.96 and 97 of the Act) or compassionate leave (s.105) during any [...]
Legislation passed by Parliament last night amended the Fair Work Act to give new powers to employers that are eligible for JobKeeper subsidies. The powers include the ability to direct employees to work reduced hours or days, undertake alternate duties and work at an alternate location. JobKeeper generally The JobKeeper payment [...]
