By Renae Harg, Senior Associate and Miette Xamon, Law Clerk
Wage theft has been a hot topic over the past 12 months due to a number of high-profile ‘underpayment scandals’ reported in the media
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entitlements Archives - MDC Legal
By Renae Harg, Senior Associate and Lauren Wright, Lawyer
WorkPac Pty Ltd v Skene [2018] FCAFC 131
The Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia has rejected WorkPac’s argument that the “industrial meaning” of the term “casual employee” has been incorporated into the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (the Act) for the purpose of the National Employment Standards (NES).
By Mark Cox, Director, Gemma Little, Associate and Lauren Wright, Lawyer
The winter months often bring an increase in employees’ use of personal leave, primarily due to illness. An employee’s brief and temporary absence, whether due to illness or even injury, supported by adequate medical evidence, can usually be managed by the employer without issue.
However, difficulty and uncertainty arise where an employee takes extended personal leave with medical evidence that has little or no detail on the illness or injury suffered, or which offers no foreseeable return to work date. An employee’s extended absence can pose significant issues for the management and operation of a business. Navigating this situation can become increasingly complex if an employee has taken personal leave in response to a disciplinary or performance management process.
By MDC Legal
In a recent decision of the Federal Circuit Court an external accountant who advised a business on its employee arrangements was held liable under the accessorial provisions of the Fair Work Act. This decision is a red flag to external advisors who are closely involved with HR, payroll and employee entitlements of employer businesses.
