FWC finds the limits to JobKeeper stand downs

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The Fair Work Commission has, for the first time in the short life of the JobKeeper jurisdiction, tested exactly how far a JobKeeper stand down direction can go in reducing an employee’s hours. In a decision handed down earlier this week, Deputy President Peter Anderson determined that the employer had gone too far in reducing…

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Defective workplace investigations

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Fair Work Commission losing patience over defective workplace investigations By Lucy Harper and Calum Woods, NRA Legal Please note, this decision was quashed by the Full Bench of the Commission on 11 November 2019. The Full Bench found that the Commissioner did not take into account Ms Murphy’s history of domestic violence and associated psychological injuries when…

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Drinks after work: from legless to jobless

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When getting legless can lead to being jobless: lessons learned from after-work drinks By Thomas Parer and Lindsay Carroll, NRA Legal Employers and employees are starting to realise that grabbing some casual drinks after work could leave them with bigger consequences than just a hangover. In the recent decision, the Full Bench of the Fair…

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Workplace bullying costs business

An image of little white game markers laid out randomly on a surface, with one red game marker knocked over in the crowd of the white ones.

Since its introduction in 2013, the Fair Work Commission’s anti-bullying jurisdiction has attracted its fair share of commentary. Of the 700 anti-bullying applications filed last year, a total of 53 proceeded to a formal hearing, and of those only 8 resulted in an order to stop bullying being issued. This means that the success rate…

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Writing’s on the wall for outdated employment contracts

a black fountain pen with a gold tip lying down on a piece of paper titled 'contract of employment'.

Playing musical chairs with an employment contract can be risky business. This usually happens when an employee doesn’t return a signed contract when starting a new job, and their employer allows them to work regardless. Other times an employee will change into a different role, but their existing contract remains in place. While these situations…

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