LUSH issue shows businesses must be alert and proactive on staff entitlements

The National Retail Association has today warned all businesses large and small of the need to be alert and proactive when dealing with their employees’ pay and entitlements, in the wake of the LUSH Cosmetics Australia issue. NRA Chief Executive Officer Dominique Lamb commended LUSH for the way they had responded after discovering long-standing compliance […]

Part 4: Modern Award Series – Categories of employment

retail flowers

If you’ve been following our Modern Award Series, you should by now be certain when a Modern Award will cover your employees, what Modern Award applies and how your employees will be classified under an applicable Modern Award. Following on from Part 3 of this series, it will be necessary to consider in what capacity […]

Retailers to the Senate – “Stop moving the goalposts on penalty rates”

The National Retail Association has demanded the Senate stop moving the goalposts on employment, saying constant threats of disruption to Fair Work arrangements were a massive disincentive to employment. The Senate is scheduled to vote this week on Labor Party amendments which would knobble the independent umpire Labor set up to management workplace relations under […]

Message from the CEO: 27 March 2017

Dominique Lamb CEO National Retail Association

In everything that your association does for the retail industry, we have the interests of our members, and all retailers, as our top priority.  This has been particularly true throughout the Fair Work Commission hearings in relation to Sunday penalty rates, and it remains true as that issue continues towards its conclusion.  First we listen […]

Supermarket accused of underpaying

IGA owner accused of underpaying

by Angela Szczepanski and Troy Wild, NRA Legal Fair Work Ombudsman commences legal action against IGA for underpaying employees The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) has commenced legal proceedings in the Federal Circuit Court against a Melbourne IGA supermarket operator who allegedly underpaid six employees and submitted false records to the FWO. The FWO have filed […]

Newsflash – Get Your Offset Clause Health Check Now!

In a recent ruling, a Magistrate allowed an employee to pursue unpaid overtime and lunch break claims totalling $29,000 as the employment contract failed to properly specify provisions it purported to oust in her annualised salary. Next Residential Pty Ltd, a Perth building company, denied an employee had been directed to work through lunch breaks […]

Modern Award Review: casual conversion could lead to “double dipping”

Leading up to the closure of the casual conversation case in the 4 yearly Modern Award Review, a submission has been made to the Fair Work Commission (FWC) that if casuals are converted to part-time employees after 12 months, and if their service as a casual is counted towards redundancy payouts, it will result in […]

Modern Award review: weekend penalty rate decision

It is anticipated that the Fair Work Commission will make a decision regarding weekend penalty rates by September. Adjustments to weekend penalty rates has been one of several issues flagged as a part of the Commission’s 4 year review of the Modern Awards. A number of submissions and applications have been made by employers and […]

Federal Minimum Wage Set to Increase

The minimum wage for award covered employees is due to increase in July 2016. The Fair Work Commission will outline the new award pay rates in a determination to be delivered in June 2016 and we will provide our members with updated Wage Summaries shortly after. Employers must make sure they are paying employees in […]