Employers will now have a positive duty to prevent sexual harassment and discrimination in their workplaces.
In 2020, the Respect@Work Report was released by the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), making 55 recommendations for legislative change to address and prevent sexual harassment.
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Australia has declared 22 September 2022 as a national public holiday, in honour of Queen Elizabeth II.
Employers are often confused about their obligations in relation to public holidays, including whether they can ask their employees to work on a public holiday and how much to pay their employees for public holidays (whether they work on the day, or not).
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Have the Agent or your solicitor write up the basic terms of the Contract as agreed with the Buyer (ie. purchase price, deposit, conditions the parties want – ie. subject to finance, building and pest, due diligence, subject to sale of buyer’s property, etc, record if the crop and/or plant and equipment are included or excluded from the sale, settlement date)
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If you ever find yourself in the position of police executing a search warrant at your address, the below points will make the experience easier and protect your legal position.
When the police first arrive
Immediately indicate to police that you want to speak with your lawyer
Allow police to execute the warrant
From this Friday 1 July, 2022, the high income threshold, compensation cap and filing fees for unfair dismissal claims will increase…
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Remember our tips last week on how to use an electric scooter (‘e-scooter’) lawfully? This past Monday the Queensland Transport Minister announced new e-scooter rules coming into effect from 1 November, 2022 to improve safety…
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The Fair Work Commission (FWC) has granted a 5.2% wage increase to minimum pay and award wage workers from 1 July 2022.
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Have you noticed all the electric scooters (or ‘e-scooters’) around Mackay City the last few days? From 8 June, 2022 e-scooters are being trialed in Mackay for a period of 12 months. But there are some rules you must follow…
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Deciding whether or not you should apply for bankruptcy can often be a confusing and daunting task, and there is much to consider. It is integral that you understand what implications you may face and make an informed decision.
This article will explain what bankruptcy is and some of the common advantages and disadvantages of declaring bankruptcy.
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In the last article we discussed what rights and obligations you had as a landowner to deal with residential tenants’ property after they moved out. Now we will explore what landowners’ rights (and obligations) are when a commercial tenant for farmland leaves property behind on your land and what you can (or can’t) do with it.
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Today, we will explore what landowners’ rights are when a tenant leaves personal property behind on your land and what you can (or can’t) do with it.
War Story: John has an investment property that he rents to a young couple
In late December, the young couple’s tenancy agreement came to an end, and they subsequently vacated the property…
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McKays Solicitors is delighted to welcome Senior Solicitor and former Police Prosecutor, Robert Beamish to the McKays Criminal Law team. With an extensive background in criminal and traffic prosecutions, Rob is able to defend clients in relation to all criminal and traffic law charges, including traffic and driving offences, drink and drug driving, restricted licences…
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An issue for many who have recently contracted COVID-19 or are a “close contact” is what, if any, leave they are entitled to from their workplace during the isolation period.
As an employee, you are able to access accrued leave entitlements under your applicable award, enterprise agreement, employment contract, workplace policy and under the National Employment Standards.
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It is with so much pride and excitement, that the Principals of McKays Solicitors announce the admission of a new director, leading commercial solicitor, Lloyd Stanger. It has been 7 years since McKays admitted a new Director so this is a monumental occasion. Lloyd manages our Property and Conveyancing Team…
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On 7 October, BHP announced that it would be introducing a requirement for COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of entry for all visitors and workers to all of its sites and workplaces in Australia. Other large employers, such as Woolworths and major banks including Commonwealth and Westpac have also brought in similar policies for their staff.
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Karen’s son Paul had a drug habit. She left her estate to him on her death hoping he would use the money to undertake the drug rehabilitation programs he always promised to…
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In order to prevent the use of false or fraudulent director identifies, from November 2021, directors will need to verify their identity as part of a new director ID requirement.
A director ID is a unique identifier that a director will apply for once and keep forever, even if they change companies, stop being a director, change their name or move interstate or overseas.
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Retail and commercial leases form part of many business transactions and commercial property is a popular investment choice. Whether you are a Lessor or Lessee, there is much to consider when entering into a retail or commercial lease.
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From 10 September, 2021 anyone convicted of a mid-range driving offence will be required to install an interlock in their vehicle after the disqualification period ends. Previously, this was only mandatory for high-range offenders or repeat offenders within a 5 year period. The alcohol ignit..
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Changes to the Fair Work Act relating to casual employees came into effect on 27 March 2021.
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For those who are not aware of what a Modern Award is - A Modern Award is a document which sets out the minimum terms and conditions of employment on top of the National Employment Standards (“NES”).
Modern Awards provide entitlements such as pay, hours of work, rosters, breaks, allowances, penalty rates and overtime. There are more than 100 industry or occupation awards that cover most people who work in Australia.
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For those of you who are landlords, there are new reforms in effect in Queensland. These reforms apply to all residential tenancies and include any house rentals, caravan rentals or rooming accommodation.
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The Albanese Labor Government introduced the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes) Bill 2023 (the “Bill”) to Parliament yesterday afternoon (4 September, 2023). The Bill is the “third tranche” of major changes to core aspects of our workplace relations system which will impact most sectors of the economy.
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The Albanese Government will be introducing a third tranche of IR legislation on Monday afternoon which Workplace Relations Minister, Tony Burke has referred to as the “Closing Loopholes Bill”.
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You may have seen that there have been a number of significant changes happening in the employment and industrial relations law space.
We have been hearing from countless employers that the number of changes have left them feeling overwhelmed and unsure about what they need to be doing to ensure compliance.
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Last article, we discussed what the difference between freehold and leasehold property was.
This issue, we will explore leasehold property further to get a better understanding of it.
For those that hold or lease Leasehold Land (or aspire to), there are general provisions which they need to adhere to, otherwise they risk losing the right to hold or lease the Leasehold Land, which may make up an important part of their farming operations.
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As communication methods change, it is crucial to recognise that any form of communication (even a simple emoji) can potentially establish a binding contract. It is important to be mindful of this fact and be cautious when engaging in any form of written communication.
Whether it is a casual email or a brief text message, it is important to understand that these modern modes of communication hold legal significance and can carry legal implications and consequences.
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Agricultural property can be held by landowners a few different ways. It’s important for those landowners or those wanting to become landowners to know the differences and their rights and obligations.
The occupation of land in Queensland may be defined under two broad tenure headings:-
1. Freehold, and
2. Leasehold.
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Following the Fair Work Commission’s Annual Wage Review 2023:
· the National Minimum Wage will be increased to $882.80 per week or $23.23 per hour; and
· there will be a 5.75% increase to minimum award wages.
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There have been a number of important case developments in the employment law space recently.
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