New Fair Work Handbook for employers

The Fair Work Ombudsman has published a Fair Work Handbook to assist employers better understand the Fair Work Act and their obligations under workplace laws.

The Handbook provides an overview of the aspects of the Fair Work Act that employers must be familiar with, including:

• The 10 National Employment Standards
• Awards and Agreements
• Pay slips and record-keeping
• Employing staff
• Handling workplace disputes
• Managing underperformance, and
• General protections.

The Handbook has been designed to assist employers prevent and resolve workplace issues in their businesses.

Fair Work Ombudsman Executive Director for Education and Major Employers, Lynda McAlary-Smith encourages employers to combine the Handbook with their workplace policies and procedures to create a single source of information for employees and managers.

She also encourages use of the Handbook in conjunction with the letter and document templates available on the Fair Work Ombudsman website.

“The Fair Work Handbook helps employers to understand their obligations and how to apply them within their business. It can also assist employers and managers in dealing with employee enquiries about workplace laws and will help in resolving any issues that arise,” Ms McAlary-Smith said.

The Fair Work Ombudsman provides a single point of contact for people working or running a business in Australia to get accurate and timely information about their workplace rights and obligations.

Workers or employers seeking support should get in touch with the Fair Work Ombudsman via the website - www.fairwork.gov.au - or call the Fair Work Infoline on 13 13 94.

Source: Fair Work Ombudsman, 13 November 2012