The Fair Work Commission has been given new tools. Among them is the power to eliminate gender-based undervaluation of work in entire awards and groups of awards.
In most wealthy nations all workers are entitled to annual leave. But that’s not the case in Australia – and the Albanese government’s reforms still won’t change that.
There is effectively a class of Australian workers who don’t get holiday and sick pay, no matter how long or regularly they work, simply because their employer deemed them “casual” when they began.
A Federal Court ruling on Sally Rugg’s case against Monique Ryan should provide some much needed guidance on what “reasonable additional work hours” means.
Lifting wages will be a priority for the Albanese government to ease the cost of living. But the unions and the Greens are likely to push for more changes to tackle problems with the Fair Work system.
The bill put forth last week would bring welcome reforms to the Sex Discrimination Act and Fair Work Act. But it doesn’t go nearly far enough to protect women or prevent harassment at work.
What makes Folau’s case unique is that it sets up a clash between employment contract law and legal protections against discrimination on the basis of religion.