Changes to Casual Employment

If you haven’t heard already, on Friday 26th March 2021, the Fair Work Act 2009 was amended to change workplace rights and obligations for casual employees. These changes came into effect on Saturday 27th March 2021.

In a nutshell, what has changed is the Amendment Act has introduced the following
-The Casual Employment Information Statement
-The Definition of Casual Employment
-Pathway for casual employees to move to full time or part-time (permanent) employment.

In regards to the Casual Employment Information Statement, now Employers will have to give every new casual employee a Casual Employment Information Statement before, or as soon as possible after they start their new job.

The definition of a Casual Employee is the Fair Work Act has been amended to include a new definition. That a person is a casual employee if they accept a job offer from an employer knowing that there is no firm advance commitment to ongoing work with an agreed pattern of work. They will remain a casual employee until they either, become a permanent employee through: casual conversion, or are offered and accept the offer for full time or part time employment, or stop being employed by the employer.

The existing casual employees, which are those casuals who were employed immediately before 27th March 2021 and whose initial employment offer meets the definition, will then continue to be casual employees under the FW Act.

If this sounds all too confusing, give me a call and let me step you through it and remember that there is a new avenue to resolve some disputes about casual conversion through the Federal Circuit Court.

Maree Punzet | Maree’s Mobile Bookkeeping | 0429 363 047
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