Annual Wage Review 2025 decision announced

Annual Wage Review 2025 decision announced

Latest News & Events

Annual Wage Review 2025 decision announced

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The Fair Work Commission has announced the Annual Wage Review 2025 decision which is to increase the minimum wage and award wages by 3.5% from 1 July 2025. 

No surprise here

This is just what we predicted – not a hard one given that the ACTU asked for 4.5% and the employer associations responded with 2.5% – made it easy for the FWC to just split the difference.

What to do

Check your employment contracts and enterprise agreement to see what they say about award wage increases, whether they flow on to employees and whether they can be absorbed against overboard payments.

If you haven’t had your contracts reviewed for a while, it could be an opportune time to get them looked at.

A caution

There have been a huge number of changes to employment laws and modern awards in recent years so make sure that you get this stuff right.

With the advent of the new criminal offence of wage theft from 1 January 2025 and the massive increases in penalties for breaches, getting it wrong can be very costly. Even the lowest tier for record keeping and payslip breaches can be as much as $1,980 per breach for an individual and $9,900 per breach for a company. At the most serious level, they could be over $8,000,000 for a company.

Conclusion

No employer can afford to not have someone who they can rely on to provide them with the right advice on their wage and other employer obligations, whether that be through an internal HR resource, membership of an employer or industry association which provides such a service or through appropriately experienced and knowledgeable employment lawyers or workplace relations consultants like us.

Please call us on 0438 533 311 or email enquiries@ridgelinehr.com.au if you want to explore how we might be of assistance.

 

 

 

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ABN : 24 091 644 094

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FWO publishes underpayment remediation guide

FWO publishes underpayment remediation guide

Latest News & Events

FWO publishes underpayment remediation guide

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We have one of the most complicated systems of employment and wages regulation in the world and we now have a criminal offence of wage theft and greatly increased civil penalties that you can be sanctioned with if you get it wrong. So what do you need to do to get it right? Or to fix it if you make a mistake. 

Important heads up

If you make an innocent mistake, you are not going to be prosecuted for wage theft as long as you do the right thing and fix it and you put in place what you need to so as to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

However, there are substantial civil penalties for non-compliance with Fair Work requirements re wages and entitlements and it has been made very clear that “I didn’t know” is not going to be tolerated by the Fair Work Ombudsman as an excuse.

It also becomes a matter of public record and that can be extremely damaging to your brand both as a business and as an employer.

Two important guides

The Fair Work Ombudsman has published two really valuable guides for employers:

  • A Guide to paying employees correctly and the Voluntary Small Business Compliance Code sets out 5 key areas for business with less than 15 employees to attend to and protect themselves from the risk of prosecution for wage theft – part of that is ensuring that you have someone internally or externally who can provide you with competent advice on Fair Work, minimum wages, modern awards, record keeping requirements and more;
  • Their Payroll Remediation Program Guide sets out in great detail what they expect employers who have found themselves to be in an underpayment of wages situation to do – it does run to 42 pages so you might want someone who knows this stuff to give you the short version of it

What are the penalties?

They can be huge – even the lowest tier for record keeping and payslip breaches can be as much as $1,980 per breach for an individual and $9,900 per breach for a company. At the most serious level, they could be over $8,000,000 for a company.

Conclusion

No employer can afford to not have someone who they can rely on to provide them with the right advice on their wage and other employer obligations, whether that be through an internal HR resource, membership of an employer or industry association membership which provides such a service or through appropriately experienced and knowledgeable employment lawyers or workplace relations consultants like us.

Please call us on 0438 533 311 or email enquiries@ridgelinehr.com.au if you want to explore how we might be of assistance.

 

 

 

CONTACT US

Ridgeline Human Resources Pty Ltd
ABN : 24 091 644 094

enquiries@ridgelinehr.com.au

0438 533 311

PARTNER LINKS

TELL US WHAT YOU NEED HELP WITH

What are the big HR issues for SMBs in 2025?

What are the big HR issues for SMBs in 2025?

Latest News & Events

What are the big HR issues for SMBs in 2025?

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Hey everyone, 2025 is already shaping up as another big year of legal change so we are running a free webinar to give you the heads up on what the big issues are this year. 
Headlining that list is the new criminal offence of wage theft and the Voluntary Small Business Wage Compliance Code that became operative from 1 January. 
But there is lots more with changes already happening with a number of awards, people being able to prosecute unfair contract claims next month, the new positive duties regarding psychosocial hazards and sexual harassment to really kick in plus more to talk about.
Joining me to discuss all of that is the wonderful Jessy Warn from HR Gurus who are specialists in helping SMBs with PEOPLE STUFF with NO FLUFF.
They have just celebrated their 15th birthday so they aren’t new kids on the block – they know their stuff.
See you there.

 

 

CONTACT US

Ridgeline Human Resources Pty Ltd
ABN : 24 091 644 094

enquiries@ridgelinehr.com.au

0438 533 311

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More award changes from Aged Care Work Value Case

More award changes from Aged Care Work Value Case

Latest News & Events

More award changes from Aged Care Work Value Case

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The Fair Work Commission has made further variations to awards in the aged care sector as part of the Aged Care Work Value Case which delivered a minimum 15% increase to aged care workers last year, The new variations involve wage increases, new classification structures and transfer of coverage of some aged care workers from one award to another.

Background

One of the key areas of reform for the Albanese Government has been that of wage equality.

It is nearly two years now since the Fair Work Commission was given the powers to conduct work value reviews for industries where the workforce is predominantly female such as aged care, nursing and midwifery, children’s services and early education.

The Aged Care Work Value Case is well advanced now – into Phase 3 of changes – which have seen significant wage increases and revisions of classification structures and award coverage over the past year.

This latest batch of changes continues that process.

Increases to award wages

In the Stage 3 decision of the Work value case – Aged care industry, an Expert Panel for pay equity in the Care and Community Sector determined that minimum wage increases will apply to:

  • All workers covered by the Aged Care Award 2010, except Head chefs/cooks
  • Home care workers providing services to an aged person covered by the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010

The increases will take effect from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 January 2025. The amount of the increase varies according to an employee’s award and classification.

A further increase will apply for some direct care workers from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 October 2025.

Coverage changes – nursing assistants

From 1 January 2025, nursing assistants who provide care services to aged persons in either the aged care industry or the home care sector under the Nurses Award 2020  will have their award changed to either the Aged Care Award 2010  or the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010.

They are also eligible for the wage increases referred to above

New classification structures for direct care workers

From 1 January 2025, direct care workers in the Aged Care Award 2010  and Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010, as well as nursing assistants whose coverage has changed to these awards, will have a new, separate 6-level classification structure setting out the qualifications and experience defined at each level.

How can we help?

If you need assistance with interpreting  awards and the effects of these changes in award provisions for your business, we can help.

Just give us on 0438 533 311 to arrange your free first consultation.

CONTACT US

Ridgeline Human Resources Pty Ltd
ABN : 24 091 644 094

enquiries@ridgelinehr.com.au

0438 533 311

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Changes to entry level award classifications

Changes to entry level award classifications

Latest News & Events

Changes to entry level award classifications

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The Fair Work Commission has undertaken a review of entry level classifications in 45 modern awards and that is resulting in some key changes.

What’s changing?

The Fair Work Commission has decided that, where entry level provisions in modern awards had pay rates below the level of the federal minimum wage, they can only apply for a limited period while a new employee with no industry skills and experience learns their new job. 

The length of the limited period varies between awards but is most commonly 3 months and none allow for more than 6 months. 

Awards which just have changes to introductory level rules

These awards have variations from 1 January 2025:

  • Airline Ground Staff Award
  • Amusement Award
  • Animal and Veterinary Services Award
  • Australian Government Award
  • Dry Cleaning and Laundry Award
  • Fitness Award
  • Food and Beverage Manufacturing Award
  • Funeral Award
  • Graphic Arts and Printing Award
  • Joinery Award
  • Live Performance Award
  • Manufacturing Award
  • Marine Tourism and Charter Vessels Award
  • Meat Award
  • Pest Control Award
  • Port Authorities Award
  • Textile, Clothing, Footwear and Associated Industries Award
  • Timber Award
  • Travelling Shows Award
  • Vehicle Award

Plus the changes in the Horticulture Award take effect from 1 April 2025

Awards which have changes to minimum rates and introductory level rules

These awards have variations from 1 January 2025:

  • Air Pilots Award
  •  Aquaculture Industry Award
  • Architects Award
  • Business Equipment Award
  • Cement, Lime and Quarrying Award
  • Children’s Services Award
  • Concrete Products Award
  • Cottin Ginning Award
  • Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award
  • Rail Industry Award
  • Seafood Processing Award
  • Sugar Industry Award
  • Wine Industry Award
  • Wool Storage, Sampling and Testing Award

Plus the changes in the Pastoral Award take effect from 1 April 2025.

Enterprise Agreements

If an organisation has an enterprise agreement in place, they still have to pay new employees at least the new introductory rates that apply under modern awards from 1 January 2025 or 1 April 2025 as applicable. 

How can we help?

If you need assistance with interpreting  awards and the effects of these changes in award provisions for your business, we can help.

Just give us on 0438 533 311 to arrange your free first consultation.

CONTACT US

Ridgeline Human Resources Pty Ltd
ABN : 24 091 644 094

enquiries@ridgelinehr.com.au

0438 533 311

PARTNER LINKS

TELL US WHAT YOU NEED HELP WITH

Free webinar on Voluntary Small Business Wage Compliance Code

Free webinar on Voluntary Small Business Wage Compliance Code

Latest News & Events

Free webinar on Voluntary Small Business Wage Compliance Code

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We’re kicking off our free webinars on “Navigating Fair Work, Modern Awards, Positive Duties and all that people stuff” in 2025 with a timely one on the new Voluntary Small Business Wage Compliance Code designed to help you ensure that you don’t get found to be guilty of wage theft.

Who should attend? 

While the code is specifically designed for and only legally applies to most employers with less than 15 employees, the principles that it sets out are relevant to any employer.

If you have 15 or more employees, spending time looking at the “relevant matters” that the Code prescribes and seeing how you stack up against them is worthwhile. After all, these are the things that the Fair Work Ombudsman and the Courts will be considering in cases involving underpayment of wages and entitlements.

About the presenter

Peter Maguire is an acknowledged expert on workplace relations compliance and has been advising employers large and small across all sorts of industries for over 30 years.

He has a practical approach to managing people and compliance issues and is especially known for his creative abilities to come up with innovative solutions to common problems or to find a pathway for dealing with unusual ones.

So Peter is well equipped to help you navigate this new element of Fair Work compliance.

Bookings

 Places are limited so reserve your place at https://www.trybooking.com/CXXQI 

CONTACT US

Ridgeline Human Resources Pty Ltd
ABN : 24 091 644 094

enquiries@ridgelinehr.com.au

0438 533 311

PARTNER LINKS

TELL US WHAT YOU NEED HELP WITH