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.
No, Childcare Educators Aren't Getting 15% On Top of the New Award Rates — the WRP Explained
The ECEC Worker Retention Payment promised 15% above award — then the March and June 2026 Children's Services Award rises absorbed into it. Educators hired today sit about 4.3% above the current award; teachers and support workers still get the full 15%. Here's the maths, the cohorts, and how to check your rate.
Latest headlines
Aged Care Nurses Got Their Final Pay Rise on 1 August 2026 — Here's Exactly What Changed
7 Warning Signs Your Employer Is in Financial Trouble (Ranked by How Much They Matter)
Victoria's WFH Law: Who Pays for the Home Office — and Can the State Even Do This?
Claude AI Hacked Three Real Companies During Safety Testing — What It Means for Australian Workplaces
NSW's s26A Is Now in Force: Codes of Practice Became Comply-or-Justify on 1 July 2026
More recent
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.
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.
Pay & Wages
190 articlesNo, Childcare Educators Aren't Getting 15% On Top of the New Award Rates — the WRP Explained
The ECEC Worker Retention Payment promised 15% above award — then the March and June 2026 Children's Services Award rises absorbed into it. Educators hired today sit about 4.3% above the current award; teachers and support workers still get the full 15%. Here's the maths, the cohorts, and how to check your rate.
Aged Care Nurses Got Their Final Pay Rise on 1 August 2026 — Here's Exactly What Changed
The last tranche of the FWC aged care work value case lifted Nurses Award minimums by 1.45% to 4.43% from 1 August 2026. A supervising EN now starts at $40.58/hr. AINs, personal care workers and home care workers aren't in this round — here's why, and what everyone's rate is now.
RSPCA QLD's $4.3M Underpayment: What an Enforceable Undertaking Means (and How to Check If You're Underpaid)
RSPCA Queensland back-paid about $4.3 million to roughly 1,008 staff under a Fair Work Ombudsman enforceable undertaking (18 June 2026). Here's what an enforceable undertaking is, why even charities get caught, and how to check whether you've been underpaid.
What Changes on 1 July 2026: Pay Rise, Payday Super & 26-Week Parental Leave
Every Australian workplace change from 1 July 2026 in one place — the 4.75% award pay rise, new $26.44 minimum wage, Payday Super, super on parental leave, and PPL rising to 26 weeks.
7-Eleven Pay Rates 2026: What You Should Be Getting Paid
7-Eleven hourly rates for 2026 under the General Retail Industry Award — adult and junior rates, casual loading, night and weekend penalties, and how to check you're not being underpaid.
Myer Pay Rates 2026: Hourly Rates by Age, Casual & Penalties
What Myer pays in 2026 under the General Retail Industry Award — adult and junior hourly rates, casual loading, weekend and public holiday penalty rates, and how to check your pay.
Termination & Redundancy
46 articles7 Warning Signs Your Employer Is in Financial Trouble (Ranked by How Much They Matter)
1,334 Australian companies entered external administration in June 2026 — 13% above the yearly average — and FEG safety-net claims are up 13.8%. Here are the warning signs that predict trouble, ranked, and exactly what to do at each one.
Is Your Employer Going Under? What Happens to Your Pay and Redundancy
Around 1,100 Australian companies enter external administration every month. If yours is one of them, here's what happens to your unpaid wages, leave and redundancy — and how the Fair Entitlements Guarantee safety net works.
AI Is Flooding the Fair Work Commission With Dismissal Claims — What It Means for You
Workers are using ChatGPT to draft unfair dismissal and general protections claims, and lodgements are surging. Here's what the trend means for employees and employers — and why generic AI gets the Australian detail wrong.
Unfair Dismissal, General Protections or Breach of Contract — Which Claim Is Yours?
Lost your job in Australia and not sure which claim fits? The plain-English difference between unfair dismissal, a general protections claim, and breach of contract — including the strict 21-day deadline.
Got a Redundancy Payout? Here's When Centrelink Actually Starts Paying
A redundancy payout doesn't mean JobSeeker kicks in straight away. The Income Maintenance Period and Liquid Assets Waiting Period can hold up your payments for weeks. Here's how they work — and how to plan for the gap.
Real Estate Agent Commission on Termination Australia 2026: What You're Owed
Leaving a real estate job with deals in the pipeline? Your earned commission on sales exchanged before termination is owed under the Real Estate Industry Award (MA000106). Here's how clawback clauses work, when they're enforceable, and how to recover what you're owed.
Leave & Entitlements
39 articlesCan 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.
Parental Leave Goes to 26 Weeks in July 2026 — What's New and How to Claim
Government-funded parental leave increases to 26 weeks from 1 July 2026. Each parent must take at least 4 weeks. Here's how to claim and what's changed.
Easter Leave Hack: 10 Days Using Only 3
Easter 2026 + Anzac Day = two long weekends in April. Use just 3 leave days to get 10 days off. Here's the exact dates to book.
Casual Employment
19 articlesCasual 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.
Do Casuals Get Long Service Leave? State-by-State Guide
Yes, casual employees can get long service leave in most Australian states. Learn qualifying periods by state (7-10 years), how continuous service works for casuals, pro-rata entitlements, and how to check your eligibility.
University Student Casual Work Rights: Know Your Entitlements
A guide for university students working casual jobs in Australia. Covers student visa work limits (48 hrs/fortnight), minimum wage, common underpayment in hospitality and retail, tax-free threshold, and super entitlements.
Can Casual Workers Claim Unfair Dismissal? Your Rights Explained
Yes, some casual employees can claim unfair dismissal in Australia. Learn about the 'regular and systematic' test, minimum employment periods, small business exemptions, and alternative general protections claims.
Compliance
40 articlesClaude 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: $601 Million Recovered — The Numbers Behind Fair Work Enforcement
The Fair Work Ombudsman has recovered $601.6 million in back-pay for 153,754 workers. We break down where underpayment happens, which sectors, and why it's rising — all from the public enforcement record.
For Employers
33 articlesVictoria's WFH Law: Who Pays for the Home Office — and Can the State Even Do This?
Victoria's right to work from home starts 1 September 2026 and makes employers cover the reasonable costs. Two questions employers are actually asking: 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.
Managing Excessive or Suspicious Sick Leave — An Employer's Guide (Australia)
How an Australian employer can lawfully manage an employee who takes a lot of sick leave: when you can ask for evidence, the supportive-first approach, and how to move to a fair process without triggering a claim.
New Zealand
2 articlesRedundancy 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
147 articlesAustralia's First Fair Work Sexual Harassment Payout (2026)
Mejia v Capital City Cafe-Bar is the first s527D Fair Work Act ruling: ~$90k ordered for sexual harassment and underpayment. What it means for your claim.
Victoria WFH Right vs Fair Work Flexible Request: The Difference
Victoria's proposed WFH entitlement (Equal Opportunity Act, VEOHRC/VCAT) vs the federal Fair Work s.65 right to request: who qualifies, which forum, and which applies to you.
Does Victoria's WFH Law Apply to Small Business? The 1 July 2027 Deferral Explained
Victoria's proposed work-from-home law gives employers with fewer than 15 staff until 1 July 2027 to comply, not an exemption. What counts, and what to do now.
Refused WFH in Victoria? The VEOHRC and VCAT Process
If Victoria's proposed work-from-home right is refused, disputes go through VEOHRC conciliation then VCAT — not the Fair Work Commission. Here is the step-by-step process.
Workplace Delegates' Rights in Australia: What Changed in 2026
Every modern award now carries a workplace delegates' rights term — and the Fair Work Commission rewrote it in January 2026 after the Federal Court found the original deficient. Here's what a delegate is entitled to, and what your employer can't do.
International Student Work Hours in Australia (2026): The 48-Hour Fortnight Cap Explained
On a Subclass 500 student visa you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session — and unlimited hours on breaks. Here's exactly how the cap works, what counts, the penalties for going over, and the truth about the proposed 60-hour change.
Finance & Property
52 articlesHECS 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).
Does Child Care Subsidy Cover Vacation Care? School Holidays 2026
Yes — CCS covers vacation care at up to $13.30/hr (school age) with at least 72 subsidised hours a fortnight. Costs, absences and the 3-Day Guarantee.