Some parts of the Fair Work system started on 1 July 2009. It’s Australia’s new national workplace relations system.
From 1 January 2010, sole traders, partnerships, other unincorporated entities and non-trading corporations in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania are covered by the national system rather than their own specific state system. Employers that were already operating under the national system continue to be covered (eg. Pty Ltd businesses and employers in the ACT, NT and Victoria).
Key elements of the new system under the Fair Work Act 2009 are:
- a legislated minimum safety net of 10 National Employment Standards
- the creation of modern awards
- revised enterprise bargaining arrangements
- streamlined protections dealing with workplace rights (including protection against discrimination) and industrial activities and unfair dismissal
- 2 new agencies to regulate the system: Fair Work Australia and the Fair Work Ombudsman.
In this section:
Fair Work Australia responsibilities and Fair Work Ombudsman responsibilities.
Timeline of what’s happening.
The agencies that previously administered national workplace relations laws and what they did.