On 27 October 2022, the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Secure Jobs, Better Pay) Bill 2022 (Cth) (Amendment Bill) was tabled in parliament. Ai Group holds significant concerns about various elements of the Amendment Bill and has engaged closely with the Federal Government and Parliament in order to secure amendments to it.

On 11 November 2022, Ai Group filed an extensive written submissions and appeared at a Senate Committee hearing on 15 November 2022 to further raise concerns about the Amendment Bill.

On 27 October 2022, the Fair Work Amendment (Paid Family and Domestic Violence Leave) Bill 2022 passed through the Federal Parliament (FDVL Amendment Act).

The FDVL Amendment Act varies the National Employment Standards (NES) to give all employees (including casual employees) up to 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave each year. This will replace the existing entitlement in the NES to 5 days of unpaid family and domestic violence leave and will extend the existing definition of ‘family and domestic violence’ to include conduct of a current or former intimate partner of an employee or of a member of their household.

The new provisions are operative from 1 February 2023, although small business employers will have until 1 August 2023 to provide the new paid entitlement to eligible employees.

Read all this and more in our latest report on significant workplace relations issues.