The FWC has this week approved a new agreement for the Australia Council of Social Service that lifts pay by the 4.6% rise in award minimum rates, provides new paid cultural and First Nations leave and enables employees to take a substitute public holiday for the January 26 "Invasion Day".
A Productivity Commission inquiry will explore whether to permit "informal carers" to take extended unpaid leave to support elderly friends and relatives, while submissions are due in April on a study of what might happen if priority is given to direct employment of aged care workers.
Employers once said to be facing up to $38 billion in casuals' backpay claims have welcomed today's High Court confirmation that contracts are decisive in determining employment types, while workers' representatives have come out swinging.
The High Court has today unanimously upheld labour hire company Workpac's challenge to a finding that coal mineworker Robert Rossato was entitled to paid leave while engaged as a casual on consecutive contracts for almost four years.
Parties have been given until next Monday to provide feedback on questions being used to frame research commissioned by the FWC as part of its major review of family and domestic violence leave entitlements.
FWC seeks to identify incidence of workplace FDV policies; Casual terms review timetable pushed back; and AiG calls for reduction in minimum pay delays for COVID-hit sectors.
IR Minister Christian Porter has told the High Court that a Federal Court bench "erred" when it concluded that labour hire company Workpac could not rely on a legislative provision to offset loadings paid to the worker at the centre of a landmark case on casual leave entitlements.
After revoking a finding that a worker was entitled to carer's leave as his mother could not look after his children due to COVID-19 concerns, the FWC has found he met the bar for only one day and can "split the different" on repaying the rest.
The FWC has reversed an employer's decision to withdraw carer's leave that it promised to a worker whose mother became unable to look after his children because of COVID-19 health concerns.
Forty-eight former Macquarie Bank wealth advisors have been awarded compensation totalling more than $1.3 million despite a judge describing as "rapacious" their claims about underpayment of various leave entitlements.
