THE federal government is currently undertaking a post-implementation review of changes to the Fair Work Act that took effect on 1 January 2014.

The changes implemented by the former Labor government currently under review for their impact on stakeholders include those relating to:

• Consent arbitration of dismissal-related general protections and unlawful termination matters;
• New consultation obligations over changes to working hours;
• The Fair Work Commission’s new anti-bullying jurisdiction; and
• Changes to union entry rules that require employers to facilitate union access to remote sites and employee lunch rooms.

AREEA is particularly interested in hearing from members who have:

• Received requests from unions to facilitate their transport and / or accommodation to remote worksites;
• Experienced particular operational difficulties in accommodating union requests to hold meetings in employee lunch rooms;
• Confronted obstacles with the new requirements to consult over changes to employees’ regular rosters or ordinary hours of work;
• Consented to the Fair Work Commission arbitrating a dismissal-related general protections or unlawful termination matter; or
• Been a party to an anti-bullying claim lodged with the Fair Work Commission.

Please contact AREEA’s senior workplace policy adviser, Lisa Matthews, to provide input to AREEA’s submission on these issues on (03) 6270 2256 or at [email protected]

Submissions to the post-implementation review are due by 14 October 2015.

For a detailed summary of the Fair Work Amendment Act changes that took effect on 1 January 2014 and are currently under review, click here.