Emma Watt Workplace Untangler - Our Articles

One of the features of modern awards that is a departure from tradition is the method of setting allowances.  In the past, allowances have generally been expressed in dollar terms in each award, making it easy to work out what to pay just by looking at the relevant clause. ...read more

I have a disclaimer that I put on quite a lot of the documents I publish or send out to people.  Something along the lines of 'I really tried to make sure this was right, but if it's wrong, don't look at me'.   ...read more

Minimum wages in modern awards will increase by 3.4% from the first pay period commencing on or after 1 July 2011.  That means that minimum wages paid under modern awards will change from the full pay period that falls completely in July.  Employers are not required to split a pay period and use two different sets of rates to calculate wages for one pay period. ...read more

I sometimes have employers asking me if sick leave is cumulative.  Sick leave has now been replaced by personal/carer's leave, which encompasses situations where the employee is personally ill or injured, or needs to take time off to care for a member of his or her immediate family.

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The Victorian Parliament last week passed Brodie's Law, which amended the Crimes Act to make workplace and cyber bullying criminal offences.  Anyone in Victoria convicted under the Crimes Act of workplace bullying now faces up to ten years in prison. ...read more

Today a Full Bench of Fair Work Australia issued the 2011 Minimum Wages decision.  From 1 July 2011, minimum wage rates in modern awards will rise by 3.4%, with weekly wages to be rounded to the nearest 10 cents. ...read more

What is redundancy?
An employee is redundant when the employer no longer needs the employee to do the job the employee has been doing.  This doesn’t necessarily mean that the work that is performed is no longer required – it could be that, for example, you had three people on assembly and you now only need two people, so one person is redundant. ...read more

When you tell an employee that they must be at work and ready to start at 7.30 am, do you expect to see them at 7.20 am?  Is this reasonable? ...read more

WorkSafe Victoria has issued a Compliance Code for Workplace Amenities and Workplace Environment, to provide some information to business owners and managers on how to comply with their duties and obligations under the Occupational Health & Safety Act 2004. ...read more

Paid Parental Leave (PPL) is a scheme funded by the Australian Government, and is designed to provide paid leave to parents when they have a baby or adopt a child.  The scheme came into force on 1 January 2011, and provides parents with up to 18 weeks’ pay at the minimum wage, which is currently $570 gross per week. ...read more