More than 750 chemicals have been added to the Hazardous Chemical Information System to update classification information available for manufacturers, importers, suppliers and end users. The update includes the addition of 755 chemicals and amendments to more than 600 currently listed chemicals. The Hazardous Chemical Information System provides information on chemicals that have been classified in accordance with Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of

Abandonment of employment generally arises where an employee absents themselves from the workplace without consent or notification and there is no reasonable excuse for their absence. Common examples include where an employee does not return to work from an authorised period of leave and when an employee walks out during a shift and does not return to work thereafter. In essence, abandonment constitutes a repudiatory breach of the contract of employment, with the breach resid

A recent case of the Fair Work Commission (FWC) provides a useful illustration of how summary dismissals are dealt with under the Small Business Fair Dismissal Code. The employer summarily dismissed the employee on the basis that he was running a business in competition with the employer. While the employer failed to provide the employee procedural fairness in effecting the dismissal, for the purposes of the Code it was sufficient that the employer believed, on reasonable gro

The Fair Work Commission has increased the minimum wage by 3.5% to $719.20 a week or $18.93 an hours. This equates to an increase of $24.30 per week based on a 38 hour-week. The new rates will apply from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2018. The increase in the minimum wage comes against the backdrop of a healthy labour market and economic outlook. According to the Commission, this provided the opportunity to improve the living standards of low paid workers and t

In Australia executive remuneration practices and disclosure are regulated by a combination of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (Corporations Act) (as amended), the ASX Listing Rules and the ASX Corporate Governance Council’s recommendations . The focus of remuneration regulation is to ensure that remuneration paid to executive employees is appropriately structured to strike a balance between providing appropriate reward for services rendered without encouraging excessive risk

An employer has been fined more than $200,000 in the first racial discrimination case litigated by the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO). The Federal Circuit Court found that the employer discriminated against two migrant on account of their Malaysian nationality and Chinese descent. Brian Newman - Director of Investigations & Advocacy The workers were paid significantly less than Australian employees (in many instances below the award rate) and were required to work longer hours. Th