Transitioning to the new workplace relations system

Are you aware that your existing workplace agreements or awards may change now that the Fair Work Act has commenced?

AMMA’s first information session will provide a general introduction to the new Fair Work system, and outline the major changes that will take place when the new Fair Work Safety Net commences in January 2010. The session includes a review of the National Employment Standards, the content and application of modern awards, and their interaction with existing agreement-based and awards-based instruments made before the repeal of the Workplace Relations Act 1996— now known as Transitional Instruments.

The session gives a general description of the status of transitional instruments in the ‘bridging period’ since the commencement of the Fair Work Act 2009 and before 1 January 2010. It is expected that numerous issues will arise where transitional instruments need to be applied to the new safety net framework and inconsistencies will exist. This session will provide employers with a head start in tackling the new workplace relations environment and its application to their operations. An overview of the mechanisms available to employers to ensure rights and obligations are clear and unambiguous under such circumstances is consequently discussed.

Business will benefit immensely from this general information session, set to provide much needed guidance to employers on how to go about reviewing current arrangements. The session will demonstrate why existing industrial instruments may need to be changed, and how current conditions and agreements can be altered to accommodate the new Safety Net. Examples of this will be provided in the session, including how previous service with an employer will be dealt with for the purpose of entitlements under the National Employment Standards, including the different treatment for leave and redundancies. Similarly, the session will explain how an employer can apply to have an instrument varied to resolve any ambiguity about its interaction with the legislation, such as where arrangements for the cashing out of annual leave differ from that provided by the National Employment Standards.