The past months have seen the construction industry face heavy criticism as a deluge of problems affecting apartment buildings across Australia begin to surface. Construction issues range from superficial cracking to major structural defects threatening the very stability of the building, and the use of combustible materials putting lives at risk. All industry players are… Read More
The Fair Work Commission has powers to make anti-bullying orders when a worker has been bullied by an individual or group and there is a risk that the worker will continue to be bullied at work by the individual or group. The Commission does not have the power to order any monetary compensation – the… Read More
Are you an employee? A sham contract, under the Fair Work Act 2009, is the misrepresentation of employment as an independent contracting arrangement. This is often driven by the desire to avoid certain responsibilities such as payroll tax and paying minimum wages, superannuation, workers’ compensation and employee leave entitlements. You might be told that you… Read More
It is not widely known that when we enter into a marriage or de facto relationship, in certain circumstances, a spouse may be liable to maintain the other in the event their marriage or de facto relationship breaks down. This responsibility to financially assist the other is set out in the Family Law Act and… Read More
Parties to a commercial building dispute may utilise Security of Payment (SOP) legislation in their jurisdiction to resolve payment claims and recover money owing under a construction contract. Disputes are resolved quickly by an adjudicator and any amount determined as owing must be paid within the statutory timeframe. The determination is enforceable but without prejudice… Read More