Australia had less need than other countries to turn to legislation to provide short-term workplace flexibility in response to COVID-19 because of "swift" and "bold" yet self-restrained interventions by the FWC, according to new research.
The FWC has questioned the "utility" of hearing an IBM software engineer's application to insert up to five days paid vaccination leave into "Schedule X" in the professional services award, as the rapid uptake of inoculations and the schedule's expiry at the end of the year means there might be "little, if any, work" for it do.
In a decision illustrating the delicate balancing act required of the FWC when considering axing old agreements, a recently-employed worker has succeeding in having a security company's 15-year-old deal scrapped over the loud objections of all but a few of his fellow employees.
Queensland's Industrial Court has reversed a single member decision letting external lawyers represent the State Government at a QIRC directions hearing on a Together Queensland award variation bid, finding only a full bench had the power to do so.
Hospitality industry employers have won approval to roll up overtime, penalty and split-shift rates for full-time higher-paid workers after a FWC full bench rejected union concerns that changing the award for a small cohort could leave a broader group of employees worse off.
The FWC is calling for any questions by Monday on the coverage of Menulog's proposed award for food-delivery gig workers and has set a timeline to consider threshold issues such as the current award that covers them and if it can instead be varied if not fit for purpose.
A trio of IR academics has warned the FWC that Menulog's bid to establish a landmark award for food-delivery gig workers would end up covering "very few" employees.
Higher-paid hospitality workers appear set to have their overtime and penalty payments rolled up into loaded rates after a FWC full bench yesterday provisionally supported employers' push to vary the sector's award.
An FWC full bench has called for the Commission to win stronger powers to curb "serial litigation", after it awarded indemnity costs against a worker who sought to overturn a failed four-year-old reclassification ruling.
Higher-paid hospitality workers' overtime and penalty payments would be rolled up into loaded rates under an award variation proposed by employers in response to COVID-19's impact on the industry.