IR Update: Employer set high expectations for returning injured worker

Employers are reminded to take caution when sending their employees for a medical assessment, as a recent case has...

Employers are reminded to take caution when sending their employees for a medical assessment, as a recent case has brought to light the consequences of dismissing an employee on these grounds. In the case of Norman v Lion Dairy and Drinks Limited, an employee who suffered from a serious skydiving...

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IR Update: Employer’s decision to sack for serious misconduct based on “flimsy” evidence

We often receive calls from members who claim to have footage of employees engaged in misconduct. This case is...

We often receive calls from members who claim to have footage of employees engaged in misconduct. This case is a timely reminder that in order to rely on video footage it must be conclusive. It is simply not enough to have something on camera that is unclear. In Mulhall v...

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NRA expands its offering to members

The NRA is pleased to announce the addition of migration advice and services to our portfolio of offerings to ...

The NRA is pleased to announce the addition of migration advice and services to our portfolio of offerings to  members. We welcome Ian Parker who is a degree qualified Registered Migration Agent with a passion for helping businesses and individuals throughout the migration process. Ian has a unique local background across...

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IR Update: $1.3million in damages ordered to be paid for bullying and harassment

Safe Work Australia has published the Second Annual National Statement which identifies emerging trends in psychosocial health, safety and...

Safe Work Australia has published the Second Annual National Statement which identifies emerging trends in psychosocial health, safety and bullying in Australian workplaces. The data in the statement is based on data from accepted worker’s compensation claims involving mental stress. The statement highlights some interesting workplace trends: •the median direct cost...

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NRA Legal expands its team

We are pleased to share with you some recent staff changes within the National Retail Association Legal team. Victoria Hansen...

We are pleased to share with you some recent staff changes within the National Retail Association Legal team. Victoria Hansen joins the team with nine years’ experience as a lawyer.  Victoria brings a wealth of experience gained from most recently working as an Industrial Relations Advisor for the Civil Contractors...

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IR Update: Employee prevented from serving notice period wins unfair dismissal case

A woman, who worked as an advertising sales representative, has won her unfair dismissal case due to her employer’s...

A woman, who worked as an advertising sales representative, has won her unfair dismissal case due to her employer’s misunderstanding of the employee’s intentions to work out her notice period. In July 2015, the employee was under significant stress from being overworked by her employer. According to her evidence, the...

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Extending unfair contract term protections to small businesses

A new law recently passed by the Federal Government will protect small businesses from unfair contact terms in standard...

A new law recently passed by the Federal Government will protect small businesses from unfair contact terms in standard form contracts. The new law will come into force on 12 November 2016 following a 12 month transition period. A small business is defined as employing less than 20 people, including...

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Fire safety workshops for Queensland small businesses

The Office of Industrial Relations, Workplace Health and Safety Queensland are running free workshops to cover a range of...

The Office of Industrial Relations, Workplace Health and Safety Queensland are running free workshops to cover a range of work health and safety topics, including: • Basic safety management system • Risk management • Safe work procedures • Safe work method statements (for high risk construction work) • Basic risk management for manual tasks • Incident and emergency response • Hazardous chemicals • Health and...

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Distress and humiliation suffered after adverse action

The Federal Circuit Court has found The Monitoring Centre (TMC) took adverse action against their general manager who had...

The Federal Circuit Court has found The Monitoring Centre (TMC) took adverse action against their general manager who had made a workplace complaint when the company asked employees to provide negative feedback about the general manager and ultimately used this feedback to terminate her. The former employee made a formal...

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$1.3million in damages ordered to be paid for bullying and harassment

Safe Work Australia has published the Second Annual National Statement which identifies emerging trends in psychosocial health, safety and...

Safe Work Australia has published the Second Annual National Statement which identifies emerging trends in psychosocial health, safety and bullying in Australian workplaces. The data in the statement is based on data from accepted worker’s compensation claims involving mental stress. The statement highlights some interesting workplace trends: • the median direct cost of...

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Health assessment appeal overruled

The recent case of Hail Creek Coal Pty Ltd v Haylett & Anor QCA 259 (4 December 2015)...

The recent case of Hail Creek Coal Pty Ltd v Haylett & Anor QCA 259 (4 December 2015) has provided guidance on the limitations of an employer seeking health information from an employee. The employee began as a Drill Rig Operator at the Hail Creek Mine and in 2010...

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Amendments to Work Health and Safety Act 2011 come into effect

As part of its commitment to improving safety for Queenslanders at work, the Palaszcuk Government has introduced a number...

As part of its commitment to improving safety for Queenslanders at work, the Palaszcuk Government has introduced a number of changes to the State’s work health and safety (WHS) laws. Legislation that was recently passed to restore elements of the original Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld), which were...

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IR Update: Fair Work Commission unable to hear anti-bullying claims from volunteers

In a recent decision before the Fair Work Commission, it has been held that volunteers are unable to make...

In a recent decision before the Fair Work Commission, it has been held that volunteers are unable to make anti-bullying claims against their employers, as they do not satisfy the definition of “worker” under s 789FC of the Fair Work Act 2010 (Cth). In the facts of this case, a...

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Beware of misleading ‘drip pricing’ practices

‘Drip pricing’ is a practice used by some retailers during online purchasing, where a headline price is advertised up-front,...

‘Drip pricing’ is a practice used by some retailers during online purchasing, where a headline price is advertised up-front, but other fees and charges are added throughout the purchasing process. Often the extra fees and charges are unavoidable or are applied in most transactions, making it difficult for consumers...

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IR Update: Special purpose employees ineligible for redundancy pay

In a recent case before the Fair Work Commission, it was decided that employees working under “special purpose contracts”...

In a recent case before the Fair Work Commission, it was decided that employees working under “special purpose contracts” were not eligible for redundancy pay on termination of their employment. Special purpose contracts include agreements whereby the employee has been contracted to perform a particular task or for a...

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Admin to warehouse staff – Do you know their rights?

Article by Workplace Advisor – F.Dunstone In this article, National Retail Association's Workplace Advisor, Felicity Dunstone, debunks some common misconceptions...

Article by Workplace Advisor – F.Dunstone In this article, National Retail Association's Workplace Advisor, Felicity Dunstone, debunks some common misconceptions and highlights a few tricky entitlements in the Clerks – Private Sector Award 2010 (Clerks Award) and the Storage Services and Wholesale Award 2010 (Storage Services Award). CLERKS AWARD Myth...

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