Changes made to the Fair Work Act mean that a ‘wage-theft’ offence will apply to employers who intentionally engage in conduct that results in the underpayment of their employees.

You can find more information about this change and when it is happening in the Department of Employment and Workplace Relation’s Criminalising wage theft factsheet.

Small businesses employees will have the right to disconnect under the Fair Work Act 2009 starting in August. 

This means that outside their working hours, employees can refuse to monitor, read, or respond to contact or attempted contact from: 

• their employer, or 
• another person if the contact is work-related (for example, work-related contact from clients or members of the public) 

unless the employee’s refusal is unreasonable. 

You can find more information on the Fair Work Commission’s website including the Understanding the right to disconnect factsheet 

A ban on the manufacture, supply, processing and installation of engineered stone benchtops, panels and slabs came into effect from July 2024. It has been imposed due to the danger that engineered stone dust poses to workers.

Some states and territories have specific transitional arrangements in place. For more information visit Safe Work Australia’s engineered stone ban webpage

There are multiple changes coming to casual employment laws. These include: 

• how casual work is defined 
• the pathway to full-time or part-time employment 
• employee and employer responsibilities. 

To learn more about these changes and when they are happening, visit the Fair Work Ombudsman website 

The Fair Work Commission can now determine minimum standards (minimum standards orders) for ‘employee-like’ workers in the gig economy. 

Visit the Fair Work Ombudsman for more information.

Labour hire employees can now apply to receive a protected rate of pay no less than what they would receive if they worked directly for a host employer.

Visit the Fair Work Ombudsman for more information.

A change in workplace laws means employers have new obligations before they can refuse a flexible work arrangement. 

For more information about these changes view the Fair Work Ombudsman’s Supporting you to bargain and make agreements webpage.

The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations website includes a secure jobs better pay factsheet and well as a supplementary small business closing loopholes factsheet.

All full-time, part-time, and casual employees can access 10 days of paid Family and Domestic Violence Leave.

The full 10 day leave entitlement is available immediately - it does not need to be accumulated like annual leave. It also doesn’t increase over subsequent years if it is not used and will reset to 10 days each year on the employee’s work anniversary.

A paid family and domestic violence leave for small business employers webpage is available on the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations for more information.

There are new rules for any small business who hires employees on fixed term contracts.

A fixed term contract finishes at the end of a specific period. This includes contracts where the employee is employed for a specific period.

The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) has more information about the fixed term contract changes. To stay up to date, you can also subscribe to the FWO’s email updates.

A new positive duty to stop bullying, sexual harassment and discrimination was introduced imposing a legal obligation on organisations and businesses to take action to prevent this behaviour.

The Australian Human Rights Commission also has new powers to investigate and enforce compliance with the positive duty.

The Australian Human Rights Commission has developed practical guidance materials to help businesses understand their responsibilities. There is also a downloadable guide for small businesses.

For more information about bullying, sexual harassment and discrimination laws and how to prevent these behaviours in your workplace, view the Fair Work Ombudsman's webpage.

Changes were made to the Fair Work Act as part of the Australian Government’s new Closing Loopholes laws. The implementation of these changes is being staggered over time. 

Visit the Fair Work Commission to find out more about these workplace changes.