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.
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.
Latest headlines
NAB Pay Rates 2026: Branch, Call Centre & Banking Award Pay
IKEA Pay Rates 2026: Store, Casual & Distribution Centre Pay
Endeavour Group Enterprise Agreement 2026: Dan Murphy's and BWS Pay and Conditions
Toll Group Pay Rates 2026: Driver, Warehouse & DC Pay
Linfox Pay Rates 2026: Driver & Distribution Centre Pay
More recent
Sodexo FIFO Pay Rates 2026: Village, Catering & Remote Site Pay
What Sodexo FIFO workers should be paid in 2026 — Hospitality Award floor rates for catering, cleaning and utilities crews, what a FIFO salary must cover, and where Sodexo's remote sites agreements sit.
Compass Group (ESS) Pay Rates 2026: Remote Site & Catering Pay
What Compass Group and ESS workers should be paid in 2026 — Hospitality Award floor rates for remote site catering, cleaning and village crews, and where the ESS Remote enterprise agreements sit.
Bolton Clarke Pay Rates 2026: Aged Care, Home Care & Nurse Pay
What Bolton Clarke workers should be paid in 2026 — Aged Care Award direct-care and general rates, where nurses and home-care staff sit, and the Bolton Clarke state enterprise agreements.
FedEx Pay Rates 2026: EBA, Award Rates & What Drivers Should Earn
What FedEx Australia workers should be paid in 2026 — the expired TWU enterprise agreement, Road Transport Award rates by grade, penalties, and what to check on your payslip.
FedEx Strike 2026: What It Means for Workers and Your Deliveries
FedEx workers began 2-hour protected stoppages on Friday 28 August 2026. Why they're striking, how protected industrial action works, pay during stoppages, and what it means for parcels.
Kmart Enterprise Agreement 2026: The Kmart National Agreement Explained
The Kmart National Agreement 2024 explained — who it covers, how it sits above the retail award, its expiry, and how to check your Kmart pay against it.
Pay & Wages
204 articlesNAB Pay Rates 2026: Branch, Call Centre & Banking Award Pay
What NAB branch and call-centre staff should be paid in 2026 — Banking, Finance and Insurance Award minimums by level, shift loadings and overtime, and where the NAB Enterprise Agreement sits.
IKEA Pay Rates 2026: Store, Casual & Distribution Centre Pay
What IKEA Australia workers should be paid in 2026 — the IKEA Enterprise Agreement, General Retail Industry Award floor rates by age, casual loading, weekend penalties, and distribution centre pay.
Endeavour Group Enterprise Agreement 2026: Dan Murphy's and BWS Pay and Conditions
How the Endeavour Group Retail Agreement 2025 works for Dan Murphy's and BWS teams, how it sits above the General Retail Industry Award, and how to check your pay is correct.
Toll Group Pay Rates 2026: Driver, Warehouse & DC Pay
What Toll Group drivers and warehouse workers should be paid in 2026 — Road Transport and Distribution Award grades, Storage Services rates, overtime and weekend penalties, and where Toll's enterprise agreements sit.
Linfox Pay Rates 2026: Driver & Distribution Centre Pay
What Linfox drivers and DC workers should be paid in 2026 — Road Transport and Distribution Award grades, Storage Services rates, penalties, and where Linfox's TWU and UWU agreements sit.
Sodexo FIFO Pay Rates 2026: Village, Catering & Remote Site Pay
What Sodexo FIFO workers should be paid in 2026 — Hospitality Award floor rates for catering, cleaning and utilities crews, what a FIFO salary must cover, and where Sodexo's remote sites agreements sit.
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
37 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.
Paid Parental Leave 26 Weeks: Your Complete Guide from 1 July 2026
From 1 July 2026, government-funded Paid Parental Leave expands to 26 weeks — up from 24 weeks. Here's who qualifies, the income test ($186,487), how to split between partners, 'use it or lose it' reserved days, and what employers need to do.
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
35 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
28 articlesClerks 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
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
128 articlesFedEx Strike 2026: What It Means for Workers and Your Deliveries
FedEx workers began 2-hour protected stoppages on Friday 28 August 2026. Why they're striking, how protected industrial action works, pay during stoppages, and what it means for parcels.
What Jobs Will AI Replace in Australia? Exposure Scores for 357 Occupations
Jobs and Skills Australia scored every Australian occupation for AI exposure. Keyboard Operators and Telemarketers top the list at 81/100; Concreters and Domestic Cleaners sit at 10/100. But 78% of the workforce is in the low band — and the most exposed jobs are often the most augmentable.
Australia'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
UPDATED 30 Aug 2026: the whole scheme was delayed on 11 August to July 2027, so the under-15-staff deferral is no longer a small-business-only concession. Small employers still get no exemption — only time. 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.
Finance & Property
49 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.
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