Menulog appears to have suffered a self-inflicted wound in its quest to establish a gig economy beachhead within the existing IR framework, the FWC finding its workers fall under an award that pays more than the one it currently relies upon.
The FWC has warned employers that the "clock is ticking" for Work Choices "zombie" agreements in rebuffing a large employer's bid to keep a 2008 flat-rate deal operating until May or June, coinciding with the 10-year anniversary of its nominal expiry.
A FWC full bench considering whether to make the country's first gig economy award has been told that "the world's moved on" for food delivery workers since the creation 12 years ago of two instruments held by unions and employers to already cover the occupation.
In a sign of the continuing uncertainty surrounding COVID-19's impact on workplaces, the FWC will consider extending millions of award-covered employees' entitlement to two weeks unpaid "pandemic leave" to the end of June next year.
Just 20% of employers have told an FWC survey they offer paid family and domestic violence leave, while Monash University says "victim-survivor" research shows a minimum 14-days' paid leave is needed alongside "culturally-safe and trauma-informed" workplaces.
McDonald's has been hit with a second Federal Court case over its alleged failure to provide paid rest breaks, with a RAFFWU-backed class action claiming thousands of past and present workers are potentially owed millions over the "systemic" issue.
The IEU says it will call out non-government schools over a widespread practice of engaging staff and others in key co-curricular roles as "volunteers", after a Queensland college back paid more than $2 million and entered into an enforceable undertaking with the FWO.
The FWO alleges in court proceedings filed yesterday that Coles owes its managers about $100 million more than it has made allowance for following internal payroll audits looking at the underpayments.
A trio of IR academics has ahead of next week's hearing of Menulog's application to create an on-demand delivery services award warned the FWC it would lead to an "arbitrary schism" between workers performing the same jobs.
