Gender Undervaluation FWC Major Case – Progress Update
As part of the 2023-24 Annual Wage Review Decision, the Fair Work Commission (FWC) established its Gender Undervaluation – Priority Awards Review process. The review, commenced on the Commission’s own motion, is designed to consider variations to classifications and minimum wage rates on work value grounds within six Modern Awards applicable in highly feminised industries, “to remedy potential gender undervaluation”. The FWC handed down its decision, which includes provisional views on the Modern Awards discussed in this article, on 16 April 2025.
Continue reading “Gender Undervaluation FWC Major Case – Progress Update”Dismissal for workplace injury, unfortunate but not unfair
A sizeable non-profit organisation has narrowly avoided disaster before the Fair Work Commission (FWC), after successfully arguing that its dismissal of an injured employee – actioned whilst her worker’s compensation claim remained in effect – due to her inability to resume her primary role, was not unfair.
Continue reading “Dismissal for workplace injury, unfortunate but not unfair”FWC orders WFH employee back to office despite “challenging and difficult” personal life
A Brisbane-based member of the Fair Work Commission has offered sage guidance for employers when rejecting employees’ requests for flexible working arrangements on reasonable business grounds, with Deputy President Nicholas Lake ordering a resistant remote worker partially back into the office, despite the employer failing to provide “a sufficient explanation” for refusing his request to remain wholly remote.
Continue reading “FWC orders WFH employee back to office despite “challenging and difficult” personal life”“Patently defective” dismissal costs absent employer $40K
Failure to participate in proceedings before the Fair Work Commission (FWC) has cost a Victorian employer dearly, with tens of thousands awarded in compensation to a dismissed employee purportedly sacked for being abusive and incorrectly invoicing quotes. Demonstrating a continued inability to respect the jurisdiction of the FWC, the same employer was penalised a second time within mere months, with a redundant worker being awarded nearly $20,000 compensation for his unfair dismissal.
Continue reading ““Patently defective” dismissal costs absent employer $40K”2024 Ekka (Show) Holidays for South-East Queensland
Looking for something a little more up to date? Try our news post of 2 July 2025.
2023-24 Annual Wage Review – Decision Issued
On 3 June 2024, the Minimum Wage Panel of the Fair Work Commission (FWC) handed down its Minimum Wage Ruling for the 2023-24 Annual Wage Review.
Continue reading “2023-24 Annual Wage Review – Decision Issued”Review confirms award rates below NMW not suitable for ongoing employment
In April, a Full Bench of the Fair Work Commission handed down its decision in a long-running review of entry-level classifications contained in 70 Modern Awards. As of July 2023, these classifications attach rates which fall below the National Minimum Wage (NMW). The decision confirmed the provisional view that such classifications – principally based on the C14 level within the Manufacturing Award – should have purely “transitional” application to new entrants, meaning progression to a higher classification level will become essential upon completion of an initial period of employment.
Continue reading “Review confirms award rates below NMW not suitable for ongoing employment”2023-24 Annual Wage Review in progress
As most employers are acutely aware, the 2023-24 Annual Wage Review has been in progress before the Fair Work Commission (FWC) for months. Whilst the amount of a potential wage increase has become increasingly difficult to predict, a decision is expected in early-June.
Continue reading “2023-24 Annual Wage Review in progress”Another employee fails with ongoing work-from-home bid
Merely a handful of disputes about the right to request flexible working arrangements have been referred to the Fair Work Commission (FWC) since the jurisdiction was introduced in mid-2023, and so far, the decisions have favoured employers. Most recently, a South Australian bank employee has failed to convince the FWC he should be able to remain working entirely remotely to support both his wife and daughter, with the Commission endorsing his employer’s requirement that all staff return to the workplace in some capacity.
Continue reading “Another employee fails with ongoing work-from-home bid”FWC endorses termination of injured Store Manager despite procedural deficiencies
The Fair Work Commission has upheld the pre-Christmas dismissal of a Store Manager who suffered debilitating injuries in a serious car accident in early-2023, overlooking procedural flaws to find there was no reasonable prospect of the employee successfully resuming his full-time role in the foreseeable future.
Continue reading “FWC endorses termination of injured Store Manager despite procedural deficiencies”OUR SERVICES
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