NRA leading proactive responses to wage compliance in the retail and fast food industries

As the approaching Christmas season brings 2018 inexorably to a close, the NRA’s Legal Practice Director and Deputy CEO,...

As the approaching Christmas season brings 2018 inexorably to a close, the NRA’s Legal Practice Director and Deputy CEO, Lindsay Carroll reflects on a year that has been a challenging time for retailers and business in general. Never before has compliance with industrial laws been so far at the...

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Fair Work Commission announces action plan to assist small business employers

By Sooraj Sidhu and Lindsay Carroll, NRA Legal Yesterday, the Fair Work Commission’s (FWC) president Iain Ross responded to reports...

By Sooraj Sidhu and Lindsay Carroll, NRA Legal Yesterday, the Fair Work Commission’s (FWC) president Iain Ross responded to reports commissioned last year, which urged the establishment of a ‘Small Business Division’ of the Fair Work Commission and the reduction of red tape associated with unfair dismissal and adverse action...

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NRA welcomes the appointment of new Fair Work Ombudsman

The National Retail Association (NRA) has today welcomed the appointment of Sandra Parker PSM as the new Fair Work...

The National Retail Association (NRA) has today welcomed the appointment of Sandra Parker PSM as the new Fair Work Ombudsman. The highly distinguished Ms Parker will commence her five-year term on 15 July 2018, following the conclusion of current Ombudsman’s Natalie James’s tenure. NRA CEO Dominique Lamb congratulated Ms Parker on...

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Deliberate contraventions of workplace laws empties employer’s pockets

By Emma Treherne and Lindsay Carroll, NRA Legal An employer who deliberately withheld parental leave payments to an employee...

By Emma Treherne and Lindsay Carroll, NRA Legal An employer who deliberately withheld parental leave payments to an employee has been ordered to pay a whopping $98,700.00 in penalties. Judge Nicholls of the Federal Circuit Court of Australia held that both the employer and company director of the employer broke...

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Employer underpaying employees, spends night in jail

By Victoria Hansen and Lindsay Carroll, NRA Legal Following a night in jail, a Northern Queensland employer who underpaid his...

By Victoria Hansen and Lindsay Carroll, NRA Legal Following a night in jail, a Northern Queensland employer who underpaid his staff has won a stay on a 12 month jail term which was imposed for defying a court order. The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) who brought the case against the owner-operator...

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Fair Work Ombudsman’s Workplace Basics Campaign

The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) has recently consulted with the NRA regarding the first phase of the Workplace Basics...

The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) has recently consulted with the NRA regarding the first phase of the Workplace Basics Campaign, a national campaign focusing on small business employers and their compliance with fundamental workplace obligations. As part of this first phase, Fair Work Inspectors will be contacting around a thousand...

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Is your business keeping accurate records?

If you don’t, it will become a very expensive exercise… Written by Sid Sidhu and Justine Ansell, NRA Legal Record keeping...

If you don’t, it will become a very expensive exercise… Written by Sid Sidhu and Justine Ansell, NRA Legal Record keeping can be a time consuming and tedious task for most businesses, especially those without a dedicated payroll team. However, members must be vigilant in this space given the strict legal...

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Message from the CEO: 12 September 2017

The retail trade figures for July released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics this week showed that the industry...

The retail trade figures for July released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics this week showed that the industry enjoyed a solid start to the financial year.  I’m always aware that these figures vary from state to state and sector to sector, but on the whole it was encouraging...

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‘Deliberately ignoring’ Ombudsman warnings results in record penalty

By Alexander Millman and Angela Szczepanski, NRA Legal  FWO v MHoney Pty Ltd & Anor FCCA 2959 In November last...

By Alexander Millman and Angela Szczepanski, NRA Legal  FWO v MHoney Pty Ltd & Anor FCCA 2959 In November last year, Judge Burchardt of the Federal Circuit Court in Melbourne found that MHoney Pty Ltd and its director, Mr Abdulrahman Taleb, had deliberately engaged in multiple serious and deliberate contraventions...

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Coffee Club franchise fined for “grotesque exploitation” of visa worker

by Sid Sidhu and Troy Wild Fair Work Ombudsman v Gaura Nitai Pty Ltd & Anor FCCA 1242 Another franchisee...

by Sid Sidhu and Troy Wild Fair Work Ombudsman v Gaura Nitai Pty Ltd & Anor FCCA 1242 Another franchisee has been exposed by the Fair Work Ombudsman (the Ombudsman) for exploiting a migrant visa worker who was “desperate” to secure sponsorship. The Coffee Club cafe based in Brisbane has...

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Supermarket accused of underpaying

by Angela Szczepanski and Troy Wild, NRA Legal Fair Work Ombudsman commences legal action against IGA for underpaying employees The Fair...

by Angela Szczepanski and Troy Wild, NRA Legal Fair Work Ombudsman commences legal action against IGA for underpaying employees The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) has commenced legal proceedings in the Federal Circuit Court against a Melbourne IGA supermarket operator who allegedly underpaid six employees and submitted false records to the FWO. The...

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Reports of ‘Cash back’ Scam at 7-Eleven Store

by Ben Desir, Workplace Advisor, NRA Legal Concerning reports of 7-Eleven employees being forced to pay back parts of their...

by Ben Desir, Workplace Advisor, NRA Legal Concerning reports of 7-Eleven employees being forced to pay back parts of their wages have come to light. Recent media reports suggest that franchisees of the embattled 7-Eleven brand, have continued to flout their employment law obligations. Workers have spoken to media outlets claiming...

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FWO blitz targets Ballarat without warning

by Victoria Hansen, Lawyer, NRA Legal The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) deployed an unannounced campaign in Ballarat this week to address...

by Victoria Hansen, Lawyer, NRA Legal The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) deployed an unannounced campaign in Ballarat this week to address concerns regarding potential non-compliance with Commonwealth workplace laws. The FWO campaign had a particular focus on businesses in the retail, fast food and hospitality industries and conducted more than 50 visits...

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FWO rolls out regional campaigns

The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) is currently running campaigns in multiple regions across Australia to assess compliance and help...

The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) is currently running campaigns in multiple regions across Australia to assess compliance and help employers and employees understand their legal rights and obligations. According to the FWO, the campaigns include compliance and education activities, such as providing a range of tools, resources and assistance to...

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Baiada Group serves as warning

FWO warns businesses to monitor worker obligations within their supply chain and network Natalie James, the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO),...

FWO warns businesses to monitor worker obligations within their supply chain and network Natalie James, the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO), has encouraged businesses to use Baiada Group, Australia’s second largest poultry processor and supplier of Lilydale and Steggles, as an example and to get ahead of any compliance issues in...

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Message from the CEO: 28 November 2016

This week will we see the final release of trade data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics before the...

This week will we see the final release of trade data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics before the Christmas and Boxing Day trading period. It should give us a clearer indication of how consumer sentiment is tracking as we move into the most important month of the year for...

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