In our view, a recent decision by FWA not to approve an enterprise agreement on the basis it did not provide for compulsory arbitration will not stand - one way or the other...

The introduction of modern awards will mean major changes to minimum award rates, loadings and penalties during the transitional period commencing 1 January 2010 and concluding on 1 July 2014. Use our calculator to estimate your new wage rates under various awards in stages commencing 1 July 2010...

We think employers will still be able to make over-award payments to employees to compensate them for various award entitlements, such as weekend penalty rates, despite the presence of  model flexibility clauses in modern awards. But you should take extra steps to keep them safe...

Use our checklist to check your readiness for Fair Work Changes commencing 1 January 2010

From 1 January 2010, all employers covered by the national workplace relations system have an obligation to give each new employee a Fair Work Information Statement before, or as soon as possible after, the employee starts employment.

There are some overall positives arising out of the introduction of the Fair Work Act and the NES in particular.

Award and Enterprise Agreement flexibility provisions are to be inserted into all awards and enterprise agreements to increase individual flexibility - but they may have unexpected impacts on the overaward area for the unwary.

This article explains how employers will need to transition to the new modern award rates and conditions in those industries where the award system will have an impact.

We have created a handy summary document setting out union rights of entry under the Fair Work Act.

Employers will need to make sure they dismiss employees in writing from 1/1/10.

The devil is always in the detail...watch out for the changes under the Fair Work Act relating to FWA's power to arbitrate disputes, particularly when negotiating an enterprise agreement. Even existing ones may start to mean something different than they did before...

Common sense appears to have prevailed with one aspect of Fair Work protections for sick and injured staff members.

Final Small Business - Fair Dismissal Code now available.

ER Strategies Director Steve Champion sees the new good faith bargaining requirements as being one of the more important changes introduced by the Fair Work Act , and one that is likely to be seen as a turning point in the Australian Industrial Relations system in years to come.

The Fair Work Act will significantly change the employment conditions that apply when an employee 'transfers' in their employment to a new employer, where they are employed within 3 months.

Union rights to enter employer premises have been strengthened under the Fair Work Act. If Right of Entry is an issue for you, read on.

We continue our series of articles on the changes to our Federal IR system. this article explores the implications for workplace agreements and enterprise bargaining.

In this section, we look at the major aspects of the NES - the National Employment Standard which replaces the Australian Fair Pay and Conditions Standard introduced by Work Choices.

Payment for work on a public holiday for most employees is dependent on things like award or enterprise agreement provisions. We stress that it is therefore hard to generalise about public holidays, but here is some information about Easter Saturday and Anzac Day in 2009. 

If, like us, you turn slightly bleary-eyed when you think about the proposed next phase of changes to our industrial relations system to be introduced by the Fair Work Bill, you might find our 'Need to Know' summary of the Act is just the ticket.