UK: changes to harassment law enacted; Acas draft statutory Code on Predictable Work Requests published

27 October, 2023
HR teams face a busy year updating policies, procedures and staff training to reflect legislative changes expected to come into force next year.  Several Private Members’ Bills have been enacted in recent months (including on carer’s leave, flexible work requests, predictable work requests and extended redundancy protection for pregnancy/family leave returners);  yesterday it was the … Read more

Employment Espresso Pods: Labour’s Proposals: Part 1

13 October, 2023
In the first of a new season of Employment Espresso Pods, Partner Tim Leaver, together with Consultant Peter Frost and Senior Associate Sian McKinley, discuss the key employment-related proposals put forward by the Labour Party in its Green Paper last year and the recent party conference.   Particularly eye-catching proposals on Labour’s agenda discussed in … Read more

Australia: Talking Shop EP11 – Unpacking the Australian Closing Loopholes Bill: What this means for consumer sector employers

03 October, 2023
Natalie Gaspar joins Aoife Xuereb to discuss the Australian Federal Government’s proposed changes to employment and industrial relations, following the introduction of the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes Bill) 2023 (Cth). Natalie delves into how these reforms could impact employers in the consumer sector, including in relation to casual employment, fixed term contracts, wage theft compliance, gig-economy participants and … Read more

The Australian Government Tables Closing Loopholes Bill: What It Means For Your Business

06 September, 2023
On 4 September 2023, the Federal Government introduced the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes) Bill 2023 (Cth) (Bill) in the House of Representatives. This Bill is significant, running to 278 pages and covering 28 distinct parts. It proposes reforms that will have a substantial impact on employers, employees, principals, and contractors. In many respects, the Bill … Read more

Australia: In the crosshairs – ACCC confirms review of no-poach provisions in employment contracts

17 May, 2023
As noted in our 27 March 2023 Employment Note, the Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury, Andrew Leigh MP (Leigh) recently requested advice from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) about the competitive impacts of non-compete post-employment restraints. Leigh suggests that non-compete clauses in employment contracts hampers job mobility and wage growth, and … Read more

Australia: Zombies rise from the industrial crypt – upcoming notification obligations under the Secure Jobs, Better Pay reforms

17 May, 2023
The recent Secure Jobs, Better Pay reforms to the Fair Work Act require employers to notify employees covered by so-called ‘zombie agreements’ – being agreements that were made before 1 January 2010 – that: the employee is covered by an agreement based transitional instrument; and the instrument will terminate on 7 December 2023 (unless an … Read more

Australia: Variation of the Professional Employees Award 2020

06 February, 2023
The Fair Work Commission (FWC) has determined to vary the Professional Employees Award 2020 (Award) to clarify its coverage and introduce entitlements to overtime payments and penalty rates for certain professional employees, whilst excluding employees who receive at least 25% or more in excess of the minimum award annual wage from the major impact of … Read more