Publications
Latest News
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At last! The new laws regarding casual workers
12-Apr-2021
On 22 March, the long-awaited changes to the Fair Work Act (FW Act) in relation to casual employees were passed. Since the recent Federal Court decisions of Workpac Pty Ltd v Skene* and Workpac v Rossato**,employers have been exposed to “double dipping” claims by casuals for permanent entitl..
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New smoke alarm laws – things that you should know
16-Feb-2021
Whether you: are buying or selling a house, already own a house that you live in, are building or substantially renovating a house, or own investment properties, you should make sure you are aware of the current and upcoming Smoke Alarm Laws. From 1 January 2017, ..
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Employer liability for intentional harm by a manager
11-Jan-2021
Highlighting the breadth of an employer’s responsibility for bullying at work, Allianz has been held liable by a NSW court for the deliberate actions of a senior manager who verbally and physically bullied a claimant for over 14 months, even though the court found that Allianz was not negligent[..
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Proposed new laws to affect employers of casual workers
10-Dec-2020
The Federal Government has announced a new Bill with significant changes to industrial law including: changes to casual employment: a definition of casual employment; criteria for when employers must offer permanent employment; and anti-double dipping provisions by which employers can..
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McDonalds franchisee fined $82,000 for threatening workers with no drink and toilet breaks
04-Dec-2020
In a novel general protections dispute the Federal Court has affirmed the rights of workers to have a toilet break! A McDonald’s franchisee, Tantex Holdings Pty Ltd, has been fined $82,000 in total by the Federal Court of Australia for multiple breaches of the Fair Work Act (“the Act”) in fa..
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New Enduring Power of Attorney forms - effective 30 November 2020
02-Dec-2020
Important new changes to Queensland’s guardianship laws took place on 30 November, 2020. Among various other reforms to the laws, the Queensland Government have issued new Enduring Power of Attorney and Advance Health Directive forms. The new forms will replace the existing forms w..
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Having a risk-managed and happy Christmas party
13-Nov-2020
It’s time again to unwind and thank employees at the long-awaited Christmas Party! But at risk of being the Grinch, a Christmas party is still a work function. Employers still owe a duty of care to their employees and employees can still be expected to behave appropriately to each other. ..
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Internet troll pays the toll as Court awards $875,000 damages in social media defamation claim
11-Nov-2020
Recently the Federal Court of Australia awarded damages in the sum of $875,000 against Karen Brewer, a New Zealand based online conspiracy theorist, for publishing a series of defamatory posts and videos on Facebook earlier this year. The posts published by Brewer claimed that the applic..
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New wage theft laws
08-Oct-2020
Wage theft is now a crime in Queensland after new laws were passed on 9 September, 2020. These new laws could see employers prosecuted, and even face up to 10 years jail time, for deliberately underpaying or withholding entitlements from their workers. Importantly, the new laws also pro..
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Squatters! Recent real life examples of how squatters can take over your property
15-Sep-2020
Two recent cases in the media involving squatters have demonstrated how things can go wrong when you don’t take the proper steps to protect your property rights. Powell v. Thorne The first involved a cattle grazier (Mr Powell) who owned 400 hectares, west of Brisbane. Mr Powell d..
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Changes to the blue card system… coming SOON!
12-Aug-2020
Current and prospective blue card holders need to be aware of major changes to the blue card system in Queensland that take effect from 31st August 2020. The new requirements will affect current and future blue card holders. Anyone intending to work in August or September this year in a regu..
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Claim rejected for worker who had pain when turning neck at work
23-Jul-2020
A claim for workers’ compensation by a worker whose position involved turning his head from one computer screen to another, making notes and dealing with phone calls, has been rejected by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. Background Mr Hook was employed by the Department of Human Services..