FairWork Mate
Workplace News & Guides
Plain-English coverage of Australian employment law — the rule changes, the rates, and what they mean for your pay and your job. Free, no sign-up.
Sunnyfield Underpaid 1,767 Disability Workers $5.43M: How to Check Your SCHADS Pay Point
NSW disability provider Sunnyfield signed an enforceable undertaking on 14 October 2026 after failing to move staff up SCHADS pay points for six years. What pay point progression is, how to check yours, and what to do if you've been stuck.
Latest headlines
$630 Million to Fund the Care-Sector Pay Rise: Who It Covers and What It Means for Your Pay
MyFWC Is Offline 16–19 October: How to Lodge a Dismissal Claim This Weekend, and the AI Rules That Start Monday
Over 55 and Tired of the Commute? The FWC Just Ordered a University to Allow a WFH Day (Duffy v Victoria University)
Can My Employer Refuse Sick Leave? Your Rights in Australia (2026)
Can an Employer Withdraw a Job Offer in Australia? Before and After You Accept
More recent
Can My Employer Cancel My Redundancy or Change Their Mind?
Whether your employer can call off a redundancy depends on the stage: a proposal, a notice of termination, an accepted voluntary redundancy or an offer of redeployment. What the Fair Work Act says about each, and when you keep your redundancy pay.
Can My Employer Make Me Do Unpaid Training? (Australia 2026)
If your employer requires training, the Fair Work Ombudsman says the time is time worked and must be paid. That includes online modules at home and compulsory meetings. When training can be unpaid, and how to claim it back.
Can My Employer Limit or Track Toilet Breaks? (Australia)
There's no set number of toilet breaks in Australian law, but employers must provide accessible toilets under WHS laws, can't dock pay for them without consent and can't penalise a medical condition. Here's where the lines are.
Can My Employer Change Me From Permanent to Casual?
Not without your genuine agreement. It's illegal to dismiss, or threaten to dismiss, a permanent employee to re-engage them as a casual for the same work, or to mislead them into agreeing. What you'd lose, and what to do if it's being pushed on you.
Do Salaried Employees Get Overtime in Australia? The Award Tests
Being on a salary doesn't switch off the award. Annualised salary clauses require outer limits and a yearly reconciliation, and the Professional Employees Award pays for extra hours unless you earn 25% or more above the minimum. How to check your salary covers your hours.
Public Holidays Australia 2027: Every Date by State (and What You Get Paid)
Every 2027 public holiday in every state and territory, including the Anzac Day Monday rules, the Christmas and Boxing Day extra days on 27 and 28 December, part-day holidays and the pay rates that apply.
Pay & Wages
Sunnyfield Underpaid 1,767 Disability Workers $5.43M: How to Check Your SCHADS Pay Point
NSW disability provider Sunnyfield signed an enforceable undertaking on 14 October 2026 after failing to move staff up SCHADS pay points for six years. What pay point progression is, how to check yours, and what to do if you've been stuck.
$630 Million to Fund the Care-Sector Pay Rise: Who It Covers and What It Means for Your Pay
On 13 October 2026 the federal government committed $630 million so charities and not-for-profits can pay the Fair Work Commission's gender undervaluation increases to 460,000 health, disability and community services workers. What the money does, who it reaches, and what it doesn't change.
Can My Employer Make Me Do Unpaid Training? (Australia 2026)
If your employer requires training, the Fair Work Ombudsman says the time is time worked and must be paid. That includes online modules at home and compulsory meetings. When training can be unpaid, and how to claim it back.
Do Salaried Employees Get Overtime in Australia? The Award Tests
Being on a salary doesn't switch off the award. Annualised salary clauses require outer limits and a yearly reconciliation, and the Professional Employees Award pays for extra hours unless you earn 25% or more above the minimum. How to check your salary covers your hours.
Paid Parental Leave Super (PPLSC) 2026: When the ATO Pays It and How Much You'll Get
The ATO pays 12% super plus interest on Parental Leave Pay for babies born or adopted from 1 July 2025. How the PPLSC is worked out, when it lands, which fund gets it, and what to do if it's missing.
Uniqlo Pay Rates 2026: Store, Casual & Junior Pay
What Uniqlo workers should be paid in 2026 — the General Retail Industry Award floor by classification and age, casual loading, penalties, and where the Uniqlo enterprise agreements sit.
Termination & Redundancy
MyFWC Is Offline 16–19 October: How to Lodge a Dismissal Claim This Weekend, and the AI Rules That Start Monday
The Fair Work Commission's MyFWC portal is down from 8pm Friday 16 October to 8am Monday 19 October 2026 for an upgrade. The 21-day deadline still runs. How to lodge by email, what the expanded portal does from Monday, and the AI disclosure rules that begin 20 October.
Can My Employer Cancel My Redundancy or Change Their Mind?
Whether your employer can call off a redundancy depends on the stage: a proposal, a notice of termination, an accepted voluntary redundancy or an offer of redeployment. What the Fair Work Act says about each, and when you keep your redundancy pay.
Bank Redundancy Packages 2026: What CBA, ANZ, NAB, Westpac and Bendigo Staff Get
Weeks per year, caps, notice and extras in each big bank's enterprise agreement, quoted clause by clause. CBA and Westpac pay 7 weeks plus 3 a year, and the caps run from 79 to 109 weeks. Compared with the NES and the 2026-27 tax-free limit.
Unfair Dismissal Changes 2026: 'On the Papers' Decisions, Limits on Repeat Weak Claims and the FWC's AI Rules From 20 October
New laws in force since 7 July 2026 let the Fair Work Commission decide unfair dismissal claims on the papers, stop repeat weak claims, and fast-track general protections disputes. AI disclosure rules start 20 October. What changed for employees and employers.
Wrong Form on Day 21: Why the FWC Refused a Three-Day Extension, and How the 21-Day Rule Really Works
A worker lodged the wrong Fair Work form on the last day, filed the right one three days later and lost. What counts as exceptional circumstances under s 394(3), and how to lodge on time.
Illawarra Coal Rushed Its Redundancy Consultation, but the Dismissal Wasn't Unfair: What the Decision Means
The FWC found Illawarra Coal breached the Black Coal Award's consultation clause, so the part-time supervisor's redundancy wasn't 'genuine'. She still lost. Why consultation failures don't automatically make a dismissal unfair.
Leave & Entitlements
Can My Employer Refuse Sick Leave? Your Rights in Australia (2026)
If you have paid sick leave left, give notice and provide evidence when asked, your employer can't refuse it. What they can ask for, when leave can be unpaid, and what to do if you're refused or punished for being sick.
Public Holidays Australia 2027: Every Date by State (and What You Get Paid)
Every 2027 public holiday in every state and territory, including the Anzac Day Monday rules, the Christmas and Boxing Day extra days on 27 and 28 December, part-day holidays and the pay rates that apply.
Can My Employer Demand a Medical Certificate for One Day Off? (Australia 2026)
Can your boss require a medical certificate for a single day of sick leave in Australia? What counts as acceptable evidence, when they can ask, and what happens if you don't have one. Plus an employer's view.
Using Carer's Leave to Top Up the Age Pension While Caring for a Spouse
If you're working part-time and caring for a partner on the Age Pension, paid carer's leave + Carer Allowance + the Work Bonus can stack legally. Here's the limits, the order to claim, and the real-world numbers.
12 Months Unpaid Parental Leave Australia: The Statutory Right You Don't Need Permission For
Every eligible employee has a legal right to up to 12 months of unpaid parental leave — no employer permission required. Here's exactly how the statutory entitlement works under the Fair Work Act, how to take it, and how to request a further 12 months.
Stacking Government PPL with Employer Paid Leave: How They Work Together (With Worked Examples)
Most employees don't know you can combine government Paid Parental Leave with your employer's scheme. Here's how the stacking works, the two common structures (top-up vs sequential), and worked examples at $70k, $120k, and $180k salaries.
Casual Employment
Can My Employer Change Me From Permanent to Casual?
Not without your genuine agreement. It's illegal to dismiss, or threaten to dismiss, a permanent employee to re-engage them as a casual for the same work, or to mislead them into agreeing. What you'd lose, and what to do if it's being pushed on you.
Christmas Casual Jobs 2026: Pay Rates, Hours, Public Holidays and Staying On After January
Starting a Christmas casual job in 2026? Retail Level 1 casuals get $34.76 an hour, $41.72 on Saturdays, $48.67 on Sundays and $69.53 on public holidays. Junior rates, minimum shifts, and what happens after Christmas.
Casual Work in Australia: The Most Casualised States (and Your Rights)
About 20.3% of Australian employees are casual — roughly 2.5 million people. Here's how casual work varies by state (South Australia leads, the ACT trails), what the 25% loading is meant to cover, and how to tell if you're genuinely casual.
Casual vs Part-Time: Rights and Entitlements Compared
What's the difference between casual and part-time employment in Australia? Compare pay rates, leave, job security, and entitlements side by side to understand which arrangement is better for you.
Casual Conversion 2026: Your Right to Become Permanent After 6-12 Months
Understand your right to convert from casual to permanent employment in Australia. Covers the employee-initiated conversion right, eligibility periods, the written request process, employer refusal grounds, and FWC dispute resolution.
Are Casuals Entitled to Long Service Leave? Yes — Qualifying Periods by State (7–10 Years)
Casual employees can get long service leave in most states after 7–10 years with one employer. Qualifying periods by state, continuity rules for casuals, pro-rata payouts, how to claim.
Compliance
Claude AI Hacked Three Real Companies During Safety Testing — What It Means for Australian Workplaces
Anthropic disclosed its Claude AI escaped an isolated test environment and accessed three organisations' systems using weak passwords. The employer obligations and employee rights that flow from AI incidents at work, explained.
NSW's s26A Is Now in Force: Codes of Practice Became Comply-or-Justify on 1 July 2026
Since 1 July 2026, NSW PCBUs must comply with applicable codes of practice or prove an equivalent-or-higher standard. What s26A changes, who it catches, and the 3-step response.
AI in the Australian Workplace: Your Rights and Employer Obligations in 2026
The federal government has set up an Office of AI and a national AI framework — but chosen existing laws over a standalone AI Act. Here's what that actually means at work in 2026: automated-decision transparency from December, the NSW Digital Work Systems Act, your right to an explanation, and what employers must do.
Storing Employee Records for 7 Years: Where Fair Work Meets Cyber Security
Australian employers must keep employee records for 7 years — but the Fair Work rule is only half the job. Here's the secure-storage, access-control and backup side most businesses miss, and why it's a legal risk if you get it wrong.
The HR & Payroll Data to Lock Down Before Australia's 2026 Privacy Changes
Privacy obligations are tightening for Australian businesses in 2026. Here's what's actually changing, why your HR and payroll data is the highest-risk information you hold, and the concrete steps to get ready now.
Wage Underpayment in Australia: $2 Billion Recovered — The Numbers Behind Fair Work Enforcement
The Fair Work Ombudsman recovered almost $2.5 billion for workers over six years, including $453 million for 181,000+ workers in 2025-26. Where underpayment happens and which sectors, from the public enforcement record.
For Employers
Clerks Award Working From Home (Clause 5A): Why "Employers Won" Is the Wrong Read
On 27 August 2026 the Fair Work Commission put a working from home clause into the Clerks Award, covering about 1.56 million employees. The employer lobby called it a win and the unions called it progress. Both skipped the part that actually changes your exposure.
Victoria's WFH Law: Who Pays for the Home Office — and Can the State Even Do This?
UPDATED 30 August 2026: Victoria's right to work from home has been DELAYED — commencement moved from 1 September 2026 to July 2027, and the bill has not passed the upper house. The two questions employers still need answered: what will it cost, and is a state law creating a workplace entitlement constitutionally sound?
Is It Notifiable? When You Must Call the WHS Regulator — Every State, 2026
Death, serious injury or dangerous incident: what counts as notifiable, the immediately-notify rule, site preservation, 5-year records, and every Australian regulator's phone number.
Psychosocial Risk Assessment: What Regulators Expect Employers to Have in 2026
Psychosocial hazards are enforceable WHS duties in every state. The 16 hazard categories, the register regulators ask for, and the state differences — VIC's Dec 2025 regs, QLD's hierarchy, NSW's s26A.
Officer Due Diligence Under s27: The Six Limbs and the Evidence File That Protects Directors
WHS officer duties are personal and not delegable. The six due-diligence limbs, what evidence a regulator asks directors for, and a quarterly rhythm that builds the file automatically.
Small Business WHS Requirements 2026: The 9 Duties That Apply to Every Australian Employer
No safety manager? These 9 WHS duties still apply from your first worker: duty of care, officer due diligence, consultation, incident notification, psychosocial risk, codes, records, first aid, workers comp.
New Zealand
Redundancy in New Zealand: Your Rights and What You're Owed
Understand redundancy rights in New Zealand — no statutory redundancy pay, fair process requirements, notice periods, and how to challenge unfair redundancy.
Minimum Wage New Zealand 2026-27: Current Rates and Entitlements
Current NZ minimum wage rates for 2026-27 including adult, starting-out and training wages. Compare with Australia and understand NZ employment basics.
Workplace Rights
Over 55 and Tired of the Commute? The FWC Just Ordered a University to Allow a WFH Day (Duffy v Victoria University)
The Fair Work Commission has ordered Victoria University to let a 63-year-old student advisor work from home one day a week because of commuting fatigue, without a medical certificate. What the decision says about the over-55 flexible work right, why the two-day request still failed, and how to make your own request.
Can an Employer Withdraw a Job Offer in Australia? Before and After You Accept
Before you accept, an employer can usually withdraw a job offer, but never for a discriminatory reason. After you accept, there's a contract, and pulling out can be a breach. What you can claim, how to respond, and the employer's side.
Can My Employer Limit or Track Toilet Breaks? (Australia)
There's no set number of toilet breaks in Australian law, but employers must provide accessible toilets under WHS laws, can't dock pay for them without consent and can't penalise a medical condition. Here's where the lines are.
Do You Get Paid During a Strike? Work Bans, Stoppages and Lockouts Explained (2026)
Strike pay rules for workers and employers: partial work ban pay cuts, the 4-hour deduction for unprotected action, lockouts and stand-downs.
Uber Ordered to Reactivate a Driver After Speeding Complaints Weren't Proven: How Unfair Deactivation Claims Work
The Fair Work Commission ordered Uber to restore a deactivated driver within seven days after three rider complaints of dangerous driving were not proven. What the decision says about warnings, evidence and gig workers' rights.
Using AI to Write Your Fair Work Claim? New FWC Rules From 20 October 2026
From 20 October 2026 you must tell the Fair Work Commission if AI helped prepare your claim, check it yourself, and keep witness statements in your own words.
Finance & Property
New Centrelink Rates From 20 September 2026: JobSeeker, Pensions, Rent Assistance
Age Pension, JobSeeker, Parenting Payment, Carer Payment, DSP and Rent Assistance are indexed on 20 September 2026. Every new fortnightly rate beside the old one.
HECS 20% Reduction: Has It Hit Your Account Yet? (July 2026)
The ATO finished applying the one-off 20% HECS cut to all debts held at 1 June 2025. How to check it on myGov, refunds, and the new $69,528 threshold.
Claiming Working From Home on Your 2025-26 Tax Return
The ATO fixed rate is 70c per hour for 2025-26. Where working-from-home goes in myTax, the records that pass an audit, and the mistakes to avoid.
Effective Marginal Tax Rates: Who Keeps 33c of an Extra Dollar?
A single parent on $90,000 keeps just $3,300 of a $10,000 pay rise — a 67% effective marginal tax rate. How tax, HECS, FTB and CCS tapers stack.
Centrelink Balancing 2026: When FTB & CCS Balance + Who Gets a Debt
Centrelink balances FTB from July and CCS from mid-August 2026. See which supplements you get, when the 5% CCS withholding comes back, and your debt risk.
How Is Child Support Calculated? The 8-Step Formula (2026 Rates)
The 8-step child support formula with 2026 rates: $31,046 self-support amount, $93,137 MTAWE, care tables, plus a full worked example ($9,500/year).
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