Generally speaking, businesses pay superannuation contributions to employees, not contractors. If you use contractors in your business, you might assume you don't need to worry about superannuation. However, applicable legislation, precedent cases and Australian Taxation Office guidance make clear that some contractors are deemed “employees” for superannuation purposes. The determination that must be made is [...]
As Victoria moves toward introducing a statutory right for employees to work from home up to two days a week, many employers are asking an important question: will we still have the ability to say no? The answer is yes – but only when refusals are handled carefully, transparently and with proper reasoning. Two recent [...]
In a modern Australian business environment marked by onerous legislative and regulatory requirements, employing staff is not easy. In addition to the legal obligations on business, there are many other things to consider – insurance, licences and registrations, maintaining revenue growth and cash flow – and many businesses have neither the time nor the resources [...]
It’s hard to fire people in Australia. I’ve read a judgement this month from the High Court of Australia that has wide-ranging implications for employers who may be undergoing restructures or making employees redundant; it’s so significant in my view that it may prove to be a precedent case in years to come. But at [...]
