Fair Work (Closing Loopholes) Bill: What you need to know

Australian employment law has gone through substantial change over the last 12-months following amendments to the Fair Work Act. Many believe that the government's latest proposal, the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes) Bill 2023, is the most significant change to Australian workplace and industrial relations since the Fair Work Act commenced in 2009.

The Bill will not be put to a vote until early 2024. However, employers should be mindful of what is being proposed and how they will be affected should the Bill be passed in its current form.

Here is a summary of some of the key changes proposed:

1. Casual conversion and casual employee definition: amending (again!) the definition of casual employee to look at the practical reality of the relationship as a whole. Casuals would gain a right to request conversion every six months. The Fair Work Commission (FWC) would also have the power to