As with many organisations in Australia and especially during the pandemic, casual employees make up a majority of our workforce. With the latest changes to casual employment law now in force, there are some important workplace changes to be aware of.
In our previous article around Reforming Casual Employment, you would have read about the timeline of the latest changes to the FairWork Act 2009 around casual employees and obligations of their employers.
We mentioned that the transition period ran from March to September 2021, with small businesses needing to provide their existing casuals with the casual employment information statement as soon as practicable after the commencement date (27 March 2021). All other employers must provide their casuals with a copy of the casual employee information statement and assess whether their existing casuals are eligible to be offered permanent employment by the 27th September 2021.
As stated in the FairWork Casual Employment Information Statement: ''As an employee if your employer decides not to offer you casual conversion (including if you don't meet the requirements because you haven't been employed for 12 months), your employer needs to tell you that in writing within 21 days of making the assessment, but no later than 27 September 2021''.
You can read the official statement from FairWork Australia here, and also download the Casual Employment Information Statement below.
Please also remember the casual employment information statement must be provided by employers to each casual before, or as soon as practicable after they commence casual employment.
If you or your business would like to take the stress out of understanding the changes to the FairWork Act 2009 for casual employees, and want assistance in how to implement these changes into your organisation, contact your local HR coach today!