In Short
The Situation: The Federal Government has published its highly anticipated reform package to Australia's industrial relations ("IR") framework. While less ambitious than some had expected, the Fair Work Amendment (Supporting Australia's Jobs and Economic Recovery) Bill 2020 (Cth) ("Bill") is still the most significant IR reform proposal since the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) ("FW Act") was enacted over a decade ago.
The Proposed Reforms: The Bill sets out a targeted reform agenda, focussing on resolving recent confusion around the classification and payment of casual employees; enhancing the regime for resolving underpayment claims by introducing tougher civil and criminal penalties; providing additional flexibility in relation to working arrangements in response to COVID-19; facilitating agreements between part-time employees and their employers to work additional hours; and streamlining Australia's enterprise bargaining process. Each noteworthy in its own right, cumulatively, these proposed reforms are set to significantly alter Australia's IR regime for employers and employees alike.