Author: greg

A WHS (Work Health and Safety) compliance plan is a documented strategy detailing how a business will identify hazards, mitigate risks, and ensure worker safety under Australian law. Developing a plan involves five critical steps: hazard identification, risk assessment, control implementation, training, and ongoing review. Use the step-by-step guide below to understand what a compliant…

Under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth), a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) is the primary legal entity responsible for ensuring health and safety in the workplace. A PCBU can be an individual (such as a sole trader) or an organisation (such as a company, partnership, or unincorporated association) and is…

WHS penalties in NSW now exceed $11 million for bodies corporate and carry up to 10 years’ imprisonment for individuals. Since 1 July 2024, NSW has significantly increased penalty rates under the Work Health and Safety Amendment Act 2023, with penalty amounts indexed annually using a penalty unit value of $123.31 for the 2025–26 financial…

Facing a settlement negotiation can feel overwhelming. Whether you’re dealing with an insurance claim, a workplace dispute, or a debt collection matter, the prospect of going back and forth over numbers is enough to keep anyone awake at night. Here’s the thing: negotiation isn’t about conflict. It’s about bridging the gap between two numbers until…

Your final pay audit starts here. Before you accept that last payment, you need to know exactly what you’re owed and whether your employer has paid every cent. Use the Final Pay Audit Checklist below, then work through each section to verify your entitlements, calculate what’s owing, and take action if something’s missing. What Am…

You’ve just been offered your dream job. Better pay, shorter commute, actual career progression. There’s just one problem—that non-compete clause buried in your current contract. Can they actually stop you? Do you need to tell them where you’re going? What happens if you just… ignore it? This guide cuts through the legal jargon to give…

What Is Considered a Constructive Dismissal? Constructive dismissal occurs when your employer makes your working life so unbearable that you have no reasonable choice but to resign. It’s not about having a bad day at work or dealing with a difficult manager—it’s about a serious breach of your employment contract that fundamentally changes your position.…

Under Section 387 (d)  of the Fair Work Act 2009, Australian employees generally have the right to a support person during discussions relating to dismissal. Your employer cannot unreasonably refuse this request and doing so could form part of an unfair dismissal claim. Before you walk into that meeting, understand this: a support person is…

What are the legal requirements for an independent contractor? Hiring contractors gives your business flexibility, but in Australia, the line between ‘Contractor’ and ‘Employee’ is thinner than you think. Getting it wrong is called ‘Sham Contracting,’ and the penalties are severe. The 2025 Reality: New Rules, Higher Stakes Under the new Closing Loopholes laws (Fair Work…

Sham contracting is an illegal practice where an employer misrepresents an employment relationship as an independent contracting arrangement to avoid paying employee entitlements. This is done to deny workers their legal rights to minimum wages, superannuation, and leave. This guide provides a practical checklist to help you immediately identify if you are in a sham…