Why the Full Bench Ruled Deliveroo Riders Are Independent Contractors In a significant decision on the employment status of gig workers, a Fair Work Commission (FWC) full bench has quashed a ruling from last year that found a Deliveroo rider to be an employee. Background In May 2021, a FWC tribunal found that Deliveroo rider […]
Breakdown of Fair Work Ombudsman’s Wage Recoveries Earlier this month, the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) announced that a record $532 million in unpaid wages and entitlements had been recovered for more than 384,000 workers in 2021-22. Background and Summary Following extensive efforts by the FWO to create an environment that encourages large corporations to prioritise […]
Recently, the District Court of NSW added to the several cases dealing with the much-discussed topic of reasonable notice and whether it is displaced by s 117 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (FW Act). The case provides some certainty that the common law term of reasonable notice, implied by law, is not displaced […]
In one of the biggest compensation payments for a general protection claims to date, the Hawkesbury Race Club (“the Club”) has been ordered to make a $2.8 million dollar payout to a long-serving manager, Vivienne Leggett (“Mrs Leggett”), who had her life “effectively destroyed” by a new CEO, Greg Rudolf (“Mr Rudolf”). Background In May […]
A sushi restaurant was ordered to pay $355,000 in penalties after the Fair Work Ombudsman (“FWO”) brought a case against them for underpaying employees and falsifying records. Summary The case brought against Delishco Pty Ltd (“the Company”), which operates as ‘Moga Izakaya & Sushi’ in Brisbane, was heard in the Federal Circuit and Family Court. A $305,000 […]
Congratulations to Josh Hoggett who was admitted last Friday as a lawyer in the NSW Supreme Court. He was moved by our director, Nick Stevens. Josh has worked here at Stevens & Associates since his first year of law school, first as a Paralegal and most recently as a Graduate at Law. We are […]
Industries and Compliance Areas Targeted by the Fair Work Ombudsman On 22 June 2022, the Fair Work Ombudsman Sandra Parker (FWO) has announced their strategic priorities for the year ahead. We summarise the priorities to give employers and employees alike a ‘heads up’ for what is to come from the regulatory body: 1. University Sector […]
The FWO has secured a total of $204,000 in penalties against the operators of Riddhi Siddhi Pty Ltd (“the Company”), which operates ‘Vege Rama’ – a Brisbane fast food outlet, after the use of false records to disrupt their investigation. Background The FWO investigation into the business was first launched in November of 2020, after […]
In light of the Labor Party’s recent win in the Federal Election last month, here is a summary of some of the Labor Party’s key Industrial Relations Policy promises they brought forward in their campaign: Wage Rises to Match Inflation During his campaign, now Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised to back wage growth to match […]
Family and Domestic Violence Leave: From Unpaid to Paid Entitlements Millions of Australians will be entitled to 10 days’ paid domestic violence leave (FDV leave) per year under a landmark decision by the Full Bench of the Fair Work Commission (FWCFB) handed down on Monday, 16 May 2022. The entitlement will be in addition to […]