The Labor Government’s Closing the Loopholes laws passed Parliament last month, with most of the changes starting on 15 December 2023, with others gradually coming in through to 2025.
Changes that have started include new:
- rules for labour hire workers
- discrimination protections for employees experiencing family and domestic violence
- small business redundancy rules
- workplace delegates’ rights
- right of entry rules
rules for compulsory conciliation conferences in protected action ballot matters.
From 30 December 2023 new rules were introduced for employee authorised deductions and from 1 January 2024, superannuation is an entitlement under the National Employment standards.
The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) said that under the new laws, the intentional underpayments of wages will be criminalised, although those changes won’t start before 1 January 2025.
FWO also reminded business owners that new rules apply to the use of fixed term contracts made on or after 6 December 2023. This includes the requirement for employers to give every employee engaged under a new fixed term contract a copy of the Fixed Term Contract Information Statement.
Also, most remaining agreements made before 2010 (known as zombie agreements) automatically terminated on 7 December 2023.
Full details on all the changes, when they were, or are being, introduced and details on how you can stay up-to-date with all the changes is available through the Fair Work website.