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 should be required to consider compensating or giving additional leave to workers who are unable to work from home, to offset savings remote workers make on commuting costs, a police union has told the inquiry into the Greens' WFH Bill.
Australia's regulation of precarious workers is "world-leading" and we arguably have "the most progressive industrial relations legislation on the planet", but academics need to rebuild the IR discipline to address its erosion and the rise of human resource management, according to UNSW's Michael Quinlan.
The NSW Minns Labor Government is closer to winning passage of controversial Workers Compensation amendments designed to rein in claims for psychological injuries, along with a bill making it easier for unions to inspect employers' digital work systems.
The need for legislation to enshrine two days a week of working from home for all employees is "not clear", as many employers and workers have now found a hybrid "sweet spot" without any government intervention, according to the Productivity Commission.
In a significant decision on diplomatic immunity, a full Federal Court has tossed out an embassy's claim that it enjoys protection from unfair dismissal proceedings, confirming in the process that the FWC has standing as a "court" under the relevant legislation.
The Victorian Government has passed laws to strengthen the ability of the State's Labour Hire Authority to prevent people with links to criminal organisations from operating labour hire businesses, and to empower the State IR inspectorate to receive complaints about the building industry.
A review of Comcare's legislative framework says there is no choice but to redraft it, and warns AI, WFH and climate change "megatrends" all carry a risk of increasing psychological injury claims, while unions say workers compensation changes in NSW will cut support to those who are close to "catatonic" with such injuries.
The FWC has announced a first-of-its-kind review of protected action ballot agents approved under Secure Jobs legislation, revealing that one has captured more than a third of the market.
Workplace Relations Minister Amanda Rishworth has engaged a former long-serving FWC member to review the Albanese Government's Closing Loopholes reforms.
