News and resources

Recently there has been a lot of publicity about new Commonwealth laws, taking effect toward the end of 2023, aimed at preventing and addressing sexual harassment in Australian workplaces. Recurring themes in this publicity are the stimulus for these laws, the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Respect@Work: Sexual Harassment National Inquiry Report (2020); and the phrase […]

Employers found liable for industrial manslaughter could face up to 20 years in jail under tough new negligence laws to come into operation in NSW in 2024. New industrial manslaughter laws following worksite deaths NSW Industrial Relations Minister Sophie Cotsis has said she will bring in new industrial manslaughter laws which will significantly increase penalties […]

Are driverless cars safe? We know that driverless cars are coming. So imagine the future, when you get into your driverless car, set the controls to take you home, sit back and relax as the autonomous vehicle sets off down the road. You are in the driver’s seat, but your hands aren’t on the steering […]

“Can I be legally sacked on probation? I thought I’d have to be caught stealing from the office, dodging work or really stuffing up an assignment, but no, I was fired for no reason at all. Is that legal?” Is it legal to be sacked on probation? The short answer is yes – you can […]

Visit any city in Europe nowadays and you will be astonished at the number of electric scooters zipping around carrying one or even two people, at speeds up to 25 kph. Men and women in office clothing commute to work on them. Teenagers ride them to school. At night glammed-up folk scooter off to parties […]

Roe v Wade establishes constitutional protection for abortion in 1973 If you had recently asked someone about the significance of the US Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v Jackson Womens’ Health Organisation, you’d likely get a blank look. But if you had referred to “the case that overturned Roe v Wade”, it would be quite […]

We know the boss can monitor everything we do in the workplace, whether they do it in person or via electronic surveillance. They can keep tabs on your computer use, time spent in the tearoom, smoko breaks and long boozy lunches. They can also track websites you’ve visited, chats with colleagues or phone calls to […]

Sometimes it’s much wiser to agree to a worker’s reasonable request than risk breaching your duty of care to employees, which could land you in a court battle. This is the scenario that played out for a Canberra employer, whose receptionist rolled her ankle while rushing to answer the office phone. The employer was taken […]

A ten year study of the insurance industry’s treatment of people has found systemic mental health discrimination that requires high-level investigation. The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) has compiled a report on mental health discrimination in the insurance sector. It found people with a mental health history are often being denied insurance, or are offered […]

With the coronavirus lockdown coming to an end, many employers and building owners could be liable to pay workers compensation for Covid to people who acquire the illness at their workplace or premises. Claims could surge as employees return to the workplace and customers rush back to shop, dine and socialise. Workers compensation costs could […]

Annabel Bassil was managing a Sydney bar when a man she didn’t know smacked her on the bum, an action that landed him in court for common assault. Upon being smacked, the 22-year-old was shaken, reduced to tears and felt violated. Police were called and the man was thrown out of the bar. The next […]

A work safety poster has ended up costing $200,000 in damages after a court agreed it had made a female employee of Sydney Water feel like a “sex object”. The problem was that the poster bore the words “Feel Great – Lubricate!” over a photo of the smiling female employee, who was stretching up and […]

Many people who are suffering hardship are unaware they could get financial assistance through their super insurance. Often hidden in the fine print on your superannuation statement, it’s easy to miss, especially as you don’t arrange the insurance. Instead, the premium is automatically deducted from your super account. What does super insurance cover? Your super […]

A certain amount of joking, skylarking and horseplay in the workplace is usually harmless and lightens the atmosphere, keeping up the spirits of workers. But when it goes too far and someone is injured, the consequences can be very serious and costly. Such was the case of Jony Ajia. In 2020 the District Court heard […]

After a law firm was sued for sacking an employee who persisted in publicly criticising the government, the Federal Court upheld the firm’s right to dismiss him, noting that the firm did a lot of work for the government and that the employee had refused to follow the employer’s direction. Review into abuse in the […]

As we’re often asked about smokers’ rights, we’ve provided a Q&A to give you a comprehensive understanding of where exactly Australians can now legally light up. Is it permitted to smoke in enclosed public areas? No. For example, under the NSW Smoke-free Environment Act 2000 and NSW Smoke-free Environment Regulation 2016, smoking and the use […]

A shocking level of work-related fatalities is disclosed in the figures regularly released by Safe Work Australia. A total of 3,751 workers have been killed in work-related incidents between 2003 and 2018. While Safe Work Australia has stated that the incidence of fatalities is declining, in 2019 there were still 183 worker fatalities, compared to […]

Further legislative changes have been made to workers compensation in NSW, expanding the range of workers who are compensated under the NSW Workers Compensation Act and Regulations if they contract coronavirus. On 24 July 2020, the Workers Compensation Amendments (Consequential Covid-19 Matter) Regulation 2020 took effect and extended the Covid-19 workers compensation presumptions to additional […]