Taking steps to fix a problem

Problems can happen in any workplace. Learn how you can work together to fix these problems and find a solution.

On this page:

Understanding workplace problems

Problems can happen in the workplace for many reasons. They can happen when employers and employees don’t follow the correct workplace laws or when they don't understand their workplace rights and obligations.

These types of problems can often be resolved quickly when employees and employers talk about the issue and work together to find a solution.

Understanding your rights and obligations can help to prevent workplace problems. Learn more at Preventing workplace problems.

Common workplace problems

There are some workplace problems that we know happen regularly.

We have practical information to help employers and employees discuss and resolve common problems at work.

Check if your issue is one of our Common workplace problems.

Fixing a problem in the workplace

Problems in the workplace can usually be fixed quickly when employees and employers communicate and work together to come up with a solution.

If you’re having a problem at work you should raise it with your employee or employer before asking for our help. This can also include when employment has already ended.

To fix a problem in the workplace, you need to:

Download our step-by-step guide

We have a step-by-step guide, with examples and templates, to help employers and employees fix workplace problems.

Check the rules

If you’re having a problem at work, the first step is to check what your rights and obligations are.

Minimum rights and entitlements can come from:

To learn more about your rights and obligations, go to Know the minimum entitlements.

We have tools and resources available to help you check your entitlements. You can:

Help in your language

For workplace advice in your language, you can:

  • translate pages by choosing your language from the menu at the top of the page
  • find resources and information at Language help
  • call the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450 and then ask them to call us on 13 13 94.

Contact us

If you have a complex enquiry or need to clarify information you have found on this website, you can Contact us.

When you contact us, one of our advisers can provide you with specific information that relates to your situation. They may refer you to another organisation if we can’t help.

Gather key information

Before raising a problem in the workplace, it’s important to gather any information that can show why there’s an issue. This could include:

  • an employment contract or letter of offer
  • pay slips
  • rosters or timesheets
  • relevant sections of your award or enterprise agreement
  • information from our website.

Talk about the problem

After you’ve gathered the key information, the next step is to have a conversation with your employer or employee.

There are practical steps you can take to make difficult workplace conversations easier and more effective. This includes:

  • making a time to talk without interruptions
  • being clear about what the problem is
  • having some suggestions for how the problem can be fixed
  • keeping an open mind and considering all points of view.

When you’ve agreed on next steps or outcomes, it can be helpful to send a follow up email with a summary of what you talked about and agreed to and what will happen next.

Prepare yourself for the conversation

Raising issues in the workplace can be uncomfortable. Our online courses can help you feel more confident having difficult conversations in the workplace.

Put it in writing

If you’ve tried to talk about the problem and haven’t been able to fix it, you should put your concerns in writing. This is a good way to clearly identify the issues that haven’t been resolved and what type of response you want.

If you put something in writing that needs an answer, make sure you give the other person enough time to respond. Remember to be polite and courteous. Most problems at work happen because of a misunderstanding.

Example: Discussing a workplace problem

Patricia is a full-time receptionist at a medical clinic. She has worked for her employer for over a year.

Recently, Patricia was feeling unwell and took 3 days off work. Her employer contacts her to let her know she doesn't have enough sick leave to cover the 3 days off. They explain that her sick leave balance reset at the end of year and didn’t carry over at the end of the year.

Patricia goes to our website to find information about how sick leave accumulates. She learns that her sick leave balance carries over at the end of each year to the next year.

Patricia also uses our Pay and Conditions Tool and calculates what her sick leave balance should be.

Patricia emails her employer and organises a time to talk about her sick leave. She explains that the balance should carry over and shows them the information on our website.

After the meeting, her employer fixes her sick leave balance and pays Patricia for the 3 days she took off work. Patricia also receives an email from their employer confirming this information.

Taking further action

If you haven’t been able to fix your problem at work, you may want to take further action. The action you choose to take will depend on the issue you’re trying to fix and the type of help you want.

Get our help

We can help with issues relating to minimum entitlements under the Fair Work Act, an award or an enterprise agreement.

We’re impartial, which means we don’t represent employees or employers. Our Compliance and Enforcement Policy Compliance and Enforcement Policy guides the decisions we make about what action, if any, we will take in relation to your workplace problem.

For more information on what we can and can’t help with, go to Get our help with a workplace problem.

Other workplace relations help

Other steps you can take to fix your problem at work include:

  • asking for help from an employee or employer representative body (for example, a union or employer association)
  • taking action in the small claims court
  • getting your own legal advice.

Learn more about your options at Other workplace relations help.

Tools and resources

Related information