Businesses that use labour hire workers can reduce legal risks if they heed the lessons of a recent Fair Work Commission decision, which clarifies when a host will - and will not - be considered an employer, according to workplace lawyer Fiona Austin.
There are plenty of reasons to engage a worker as a contractor as opposed to an employee, but the fact that someone expresses a preference for being a contractor isn't one of them, says HR Business Direction's Melissa Fitzpatrick.
The end of any contracting arrangement heralds a heightened risk of employee entitlement claims, but those involving unpaid superannuation are particularly hard to defend and costly to address, according to PwC partner Rohan Geddes.
Different time zones, isolated workers and productivity concerns can all be turned from challenges to advantages with some creative thinking, a conference heard this week.
Rulings handed down since the commencement of the Fair Work Act's adverse action provisions have clarified some of the mystery around their operation and contain important lessons for employers.
Contractors make up part of nearly every employer's workforce, but understanding your responsibilities in this area and maintaining first-rate safety standards can be tough.
This webcast covers:
How to ensure contractor compliance;
Your OHS obligations to different kinds of contractors;
Harmonisation - consultation obligations and other changes;
Engaging contingent labour purely to save costs is fraught with risks, so employers should ensure they use contractors for the "right" reasons, and take adequate steps to protect themselves against claims, says employment lawyer Nick Duggal.
When contracting arrangements aren't clear on paper and are murky in practice, they become like the proverbial "ticking bomb", potentially resulting in massive back-pay orders for wages, superannuation contributions, and other modern award or NES entitlements.
When contracting arrangements aren't clear on paper and are murky in practice, they become like the proverbial "ticking bomb", potentially resulting in massive back-pay orders for wages, superannuation contributions, and other modern award or NES entitlements.
This webcast covers how to:
determine whether to engage workers as contractors or employees;
ensure arrangements satisfy established principal/contractor tests;
review existing arrangements to clarify your liability;
adapt contracts and practices to reverse the risk; and
avoid the risks associated with long-term contracting arrangements.
The laws around engaging casual and contract workers have changed drastically this year. Understand how this affects your organisation by attending this HR Daily webinar.
From August, employees will have a legislated right to disconnect from work. Understand what this means for your organisation by watching this HR Daily Premium webcast.
