The Australian national workplace relations system establishes a safety net of minimum terms and conditions of employment and a range of other workplace rights and responsibilities.
Current workplace relations issues
The Government's workplace relations programmes, services and information include:
- The national workplace relations system – established by the Fair Work Act 2009 and other laws.
- Paid Parental Leave – offers eligible working parents 18 weeks of government funded Parental Leave Pay at the rate of the National Minimum Wage.
- Fair Entitlements Guarantee (FEG) – provides financial assistance to cover certain unpaid employment entitlements to eligible employees who lose their job due the liquidation or bankruptcy of their employer, where the liquidation or bankruptcy occurred on or after 5 December 2012.
- Building Code 2016 – The Code applies to all Commonwealth funded building work undertaken for, or on behalf of a funding entity, if the funding entity issued the expression of interest or request for tender on or after 2 December 2016.
There are a number of related agencies that help deliver the Australian Government's workplace relations system:
- Fair Work Ombudsman
- Fair Work Commission
- Safe Work Australia
- Office of the Federal Safety Commissioner
- Registered Organisations Commission
- Australian Building and Construction Commission
- The Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission
- Seafarers Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Authority
Related links
Senate Inquiry into Non-conforming Building Products
Unpaid Work Experience in Australia Report - December 2016
Supporting Working Parents website and online resources
The Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment (Improving the Comcare Scheme) Bill 2015
Centre for Workplace Leadership - Workplace Gender and Equality Strategy project