Public consultation on the measures outlined below has concluded.
On this page:
Summaries of measures were published on 24 March 2023. Written responses closed on Thursday 6 April 2023 and will remain confidential.
- Stand up for casual workers
- Closing labour hire loopholes
- Compliance and enforcement: Criminalising wage theft
- Extend the powers of the Fair Work Commission to include ‘employee-like’ forms of work
- Give workers the right to challenge unfair contractual terms
- Allow the Fair Work Commission to set minimum standards to ensure the road transport industry is safe, sustainable and viable
- Provide stronger protections against discrimination, adverse action and harassment
- A single national framework for labour hire regulation, which could be implemented in place of existing state and territory schemes
- Address the impact of the small business redundancy exemption in winding up scenarios to support equitable outcomes for claimants under the Fair Entitlements Guarantee
- Reforms to enterprise bargaining provisions to close loopholes:
- Repeal demerger from registered organisations amalgamation provisions.
The following consultation papers were published on 13 April 2023. Written responses closed on 12 May 2023 and will remain confidential.
- Closing labour hire loopholes
- Compliance and enforcement: Criminalising wage theft
- Extend the powers of the Fair Work Commission to include ‘employee-like’ forms of work
- Provide stronger protections against discrimination, adverse action and harassment
Protecting worker entitlements
The Australian Government consulted on the following measures in early 2023:
- Inserting a right to superannuation in the National Employment Standards
- Reforming the 4-yearly review of superannuation default fund provisions
- Clarifying the application of Fair Work Act protections to temporary migrant workers
- Providing stronger access to unpaid parental leave so families can share work and care responsibilities
- Clarifying that when a workplace determination comes into effect, the enterprise agreement will no longer operate
- Making pay deductions for authorised purposes an easier process for workers and businesses
- Providing casual workers in the black coal mining industry the same access to long service leave entitlements as their permanent counterparts
The Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Protecting Worker Entitlements) Act 2023 received Royal Assent on 30 June 2023.