Any purchase currently comes with complimentary access to our updating service until 30 June 2025. Valued at $115 for Ai Group Members and $210 for non-Members! See below for futher details. 

The National Employment Standards (the NES), together with modern awards, form the safety net of conditions for employees under the national system. The NES apply to all employees, whether award-covered, agreement-covered or award/agreement free.

This handbook covers each of the NES entitlements:

  • Maximum weekly hours
  • Requests for flexible working arrangements
  • Offers and requests for casual conversion
  • Parental leave and related entitlements
  • Annual leave
  • Personal/carer's leave, compassionate leave, and family and domestic violence leave
  • Community service leave
  • Long service leave
  • Public holidays
  • Superannuation contributions
  • Notice of termination and redundancy pay
  • The Fair Work Information Statement and Casual Employment Information Statement.

Some of the features of this publication include:

  • Information on how each of the entitlements interacts with contracts of employment, modern awards and enterprise agreements
  • Examples of common modern award clauses and how they affect the NES entitlements
  • Case examples to illustrate how the NES entitlements operate in practice
  • Information on notice and documentary requirements for paid sick leave and other forms of leave
  • An overview of how the NES are affected by the broad “transfer of business” rules under the Fair Work Act
  • An overview of record keeping obligations under the Fair Work legislation.

View Table of Contents

Updating service

To keep our Workplace Relations Handbooks current and with the latest information, we provide an annual updating service. 

Complimentary updating till 30 June 2025!

All purchases of the Managing Leave Handbook include a free subscription to the corresponding updating service until 30 June 2025 (this is valued at $115 for Ai Group Members and $210 for non-Members).

Continuing your updating service

In May 2025 we will send you an invoice inviting you to continue your updating service into the 2025/2026 financial year.

The annual prices for a subscription to our updating service for 2024/25 are shown below. Prices are subject to change from 1 July each year. 

                     Ai Group Member  $115                                                     Non-Member  $210
Hardcopy Handbook

Members: $210.00

Non-Members: $320.00

Includes postage, handling and your personal hardcopy colour binder.