Employers should consider broadening the definition of "family" in flexible work policies to reflect Indigenous kinship networks, according to the Centre for Indigenous People and Work, while unions are calling for a similar change to the NES leave entitlements, along with a new cultural leave entitlement.
The SDA is urging McDonald's to settle major rest breaks cases ahead of a lengthy hearing, as KFC and its franchisees agree to pay about $29 million to resolve a similar class action accusing them of denying proper breaks to tens of thousands of workers.
The National Employment Standards' weekly hours limit is incompatible with FIFO and 24/7 operations because of their reliance on averaged and extended shifts, and the "reasonableness" test is too burdensome, AREEA says in its submission to the NES inquiry.
In submissions to the NES review, unions are pushing for the Albanese Government to add 10 days paid reproductive leave to the standards, with the backing of a Labor senator, while the Centre for Future Work is advocating for an additional 10 days paid carers leave.
The Albanese Government should get rid of awards and make a strengthened NES the sole source of minimum employment conditions for all industries, the HR Nicholls Society has told in the NES review.
Working from home arrangements have been a big success in the Australian Public Service, with a mere handful of disputes about flexible work requests, the CPSU has told a Senate inquiry into a bill aimed at enshrining WFH rights.
Employers say the National Employment Standards should cap the number of public holidays attracting penalty rates, boost "flexibility" for part-timers and those working from home, and keep the gig economy beyond coverage, while academics support removing the 12-months service qualifier for parental leave.
A FWC full bench has found that shiftworkers employed by a major stevedoring company are entitled to payment on top of their ordinary weekly wage if they are rostered off on a public holiday.
The Federal Court has found that the limits to the FWC's dispute resolution powers mean that its ruling about an agreement's new long service leave clause only applies to the worker that first raised the issue, rather than all covered employees.
