“If you’ve got a little spare time on your hands this month one of the things not to do is Google Fair Work Australia. Take up miniature golf, bungy jumping into the bathtub or brewing free range beer…

You have to pity the people who have just started dealing with it because you’d need an entire law firm and the reincarnations of Bonnie and Clyde to help you survive.”

So said Peter Ruehl in the Australian Financial Review, 12 January 2010.

While he may have overstated things a bit, it is clear in our practice that many employers are unsure how they are affected by the new federal safety net, including modern awards and the National Employment Standards. They are unclear about what, if anything, they need to do now in order to comply. These features of the new federal industrial relations system were among those that came into effect on 1 January. Others, such as the new unfair dismissal regime, have been operating since 1 July last year.

In this article, we have outlined some general observations and signposts that might help those struggling to adapt to, or yet to think much about, modern awards and the other features of the new federal safety net. We’ve attempted to answer some of the burning questions you may have as you come to grips with the new system.

Please click on the PDF link to download a full copy of this article.