Annual workplace relations review: 2007

08 February 2008

Introduction

This is Freehills’ fourth annual review of developments covered by the Freehills Employment and Workplace Relations group. We have continued to expand the scope of the publication to more than just summarise the key developments over the past year, but to also provide the framework of Australia’s system of employment regulation and the likely changes we can expect over the next two years.

We have purposefully written this publication with the needs of line managers and non-Human Resources practitioners foremost in our mind. It is intended to be practical and non technical. And, for the first time, we have included an overview of Asian developments and trends, in light of the establishment of our Asian Human Resources legal practice, based in Singapore.

Working closely with our clients, we focus on understanding the issues you face in your individual business and provide you with the right solutions to achieve your objectives. This publication and the information it contains reflects this approach.

Reading through the chapters it becomes clear that you cannot divorce the subject of employment law and workplace relations from the political environment. Many of the areas reviewed are likely to be the subject of significant reform between now and 2010. Labor’s election victory in the November 2007 Federal Election has secured a mandate for an overhaul of Australia’s employment regulation, not least considerable reform of the previous government’s WorkChoices laws which commenced in March 2006. This inevitably brings some change and uncertainty. Still, this has characterised workplace relations law for most of the past decade.

On a positive note, the prospect of change represents an opportunity for the simplification of national laws, and a greater synergy between areas of state and federal responsibility.

Chapters
Employment regulation in Australia – overview
Likely Australian workplace reforms in 2008: Labor’s new mandate
Termination of employment
Occupational health and safety
Discrimination, diversity and equal opportunity
Employment law developments
Industrial relations and enterprise bargaining
Privacy
Superannuation
Building and construction industry
Asian developments and trends

To purchase a copy of the Annual workplace relations review: 2007 please contact Vivien Parisi in the Employee Relations group on +61 3 9288 1558 or vivien.parisi@freehills.com.