Annual and Minimum Wage Review and Superannuation Increase
Effective date : 1 July 2025
From the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2025, employers must satisfy the new Fair Work Commission payment obligations for relevant employees on all Modern Awards.
As part of the annual wage review, there is a 3.5% increase to the national minimum wage and all modern award minimum wage rates.
In addition, from 1 July 2025, the superannuation guarantee increases from 11.5% to 12%.
Closing the Loophole Casual Employment Rule Changes
Effective date : 26 February 2025
From 26 February 2025 (or from 26 August 2025, if employed by a small business with less than 15 employees), eligible casuals can provide written notice to their employer to request to change to full-time or part-time employment under the employee choice pathway. An employer can only refuse the notice for certain reasons.
If the employer accepts the change, the response should be in writing and include specific employment details. However, if the employer doesn’t accept the change, the written response must include the reasons for the decision.
New Fair Work Information Statements Available
Effective date : 1 November 2024
There is a new Fair Work Information Statement available to download.
Employers have to give every new employee a copy of the Fair Work Information Statement (the FWIS) before, or as soon as possible after, they start their new job. The FWIS provides new employees with information about their conditions of employment.
There is a new Fixed Term Contract Information Statement available to download.
Employers must give every employee engaged on a new fixed term contract a copy of the Fixed Term Contract Information Statement (FTCIS) when they enter into the contract. The FTCIS provides employees with information about their conditions of employment.
There is a new Casual Employment Information Statement available to download.
Employers must give casual employees a Casual Employment Information Statement (CEIS) before or as soon as possible after they start employment, and also at set times throughout their employment. The CEIS provides employees with information about their conditions of employment.
New Fair Work Casual Employment Information Statement available
Effective date : 26 August 2024
On 26 August 2024, there will be changes to workplace laws as part of the Closing Loopholes reforms. These changes include how casual work is defined, the pathway to permanent employment and employee and employer responsibilities.
There will be an updated version of the Fair Work Casual Employment Information Statement available on 26 August 2024.
Employers have to give every new and existing employee a copy of the Fair Work Casual Information Statement (the FWIS) before, or as soon as possible after, they start their new casual job. It provides employees with information about their conditions of employment.
Changes to Paid Parental Leave Scheme
Effective date : 1 July 2024
Paid Parental Leave – The rate of Parental Leave Pay usually changes on 1 July each year. The rate you get depends on when in the financial year you take your leave. You’ll get the rate that applies for the financial year of the day or days you are claiming for. This may mean you get different rates. The rate isn’t based on when your child was born or adopted. This includes paid parental leave and partner leave and will increase until 2026.
For more information visit: Services Australia – How much can you get
Available parental leave period – Previously the available parental leave period for two parents was 12 months and leave taken by one parent would reduce the period available to the other parent. Now, both parents can take up to 12 months in the first 24 months from the date of birth/placement. Further, there are no prohibitions against parents taking leave at the same time (previously, the only time this could occur was ‘concurrent leave’).
Extensions to parental leave – Previously employers could refuse on reasonable business grounds, however the recent changes require employers to genuinely try to reach agreement with an employee and respond in writing within 21 days. Both parents can also apply to extend for a further 12 months beyond the initial 12-month period. Essentially allowing both parents of a child to take up to 24 months’ unpaid parental leave.
Flexible parental leave – Previously employees were able to take 30 days of unpaid parental leave. Now, employees are able to take up to 100 days of their 12-month unpaid parental leave entitlement flexibly during the 24-month period after the
birth or placement of their child. Pregnant employees are also able to access their flexible unpaid parental leave up to 6 weeks before the expected date of birth of their child.
Right to request flexible work – Under the NES, employees may request flexible working arrangements if they have completed 12 months’ continuous service AND they are either providing care for a child of school age or younger or older children with a disability; or are pregnant. Previously employers could refuse on reasonable business grounds, however the recent changes require employers to genuinely try to reach agreement with an employee and respond in writing within 21 days.
New Fair Work Information Statement available
Effective date : 1 July 2024
There is a new Fair Work Information Statement available.
Employers have to give every new employee a copy of the Fair Work Information Statement (the FWIS) before, or as soon as possible after, they start their new job.
The FWIS provides new employees with information about their conditions of employment.
Annual and minimum wage review
Annual and minimum wage review
Change to the Fair Work Act as part of the new ‘Closing Loopholes’ laws.
Change to the Fair Work Act as part of the new ‘Closing Loopholes’ laws.
Effective date : May 2024
The Australian Government passed new workplace laws as part of its ‘Closing Loopholes’ legislation. The changes take effect at different times between December 2023 and August 2025.
Some changes affect the work the Fair Work Ombudsman do. Other changes affect the work of the Fair Work Commission.
The Fair Work Ombudsman is currently reviewing its general website information and tools and resources, and preparing updates. You can access a visual snapshot summarising the changes and listing the key start dates.
Changes include:
Right to disconnect
Criminalising wage underpayments and other issues
Casual employment changes
Labour hire changes
Independent contractor changes
Unions and registered organisations changes
Enterprise bargaining and enterprise agreement changes
Changes to travel time in the Real Estate Award
Changes to travel time in the Real Estate Award
Effective date : March 2024
The rules mean:
- employees must be paid for time spent travelling that is more than the time they normally spend travelling to their employer’s usual place of business
- this additional time is treated as time worked and the employee must be paid ordinary rates or overtime rates where applicable
- employees who are required to use their own vehicle must also be paid the applicable motor vehicle allowance.
Respect@Work
Effective date : December 2023
With the recent passing of the Anti-Discrimination and Human Rights Legislation Amendment (Respect at Work) Act 2022, employers will need to be doing more to proactively prevent sexual harassment and hostile workplace environments, and instead create a safe workplace culture.
While many of the changes came into effect from 13 December 2022, further changes will take effect in December 2023, which expands employees’ options to pursue claims.
Fixed Term Contracts
Effective date : December 2023
Following recent changes to the Fair Work Act, from 6 December 2023, employers will be unable to engage employees on fixed term contracts with a period of two or more years (including extensions) or on a fixed term contract with multiple extensions. There are limited exemptions that will apply.
Employers will also be required to give employees they are engaging on new fixed term contracts a Fixed Term Contract Information Statement (FTCIS). The Fixed Term Contract Information Statement is be available to download.