Woolworths has told the Senate work and care inquiry that 37.4% of its casuals accepted offers to convert from casual to permanent, which chair Barbara Pocock says is much higher than the committee has otherwise heard.
A leading gender and IR expert says providing 12 paid menstruation and menopause leave days per year would be a "very positive start", as unions and Maurice Blackburn prepare a campaign likely to push for at least this level of entitlement via legislative reforms and agreements.
The Albanese Government's first major tranche of IR legislation beefs-up workers' rights to secure flexible working arrangements and empowers the FWC to arbitrate if conciliation of a refused request fails.
The Senate Work and Care inquiry's Labor and Greens majority is urging the Albanese Government to move swiftly to consider a right to disconnect, make flexibility requests an enforceable right and provide "roster justice" by ensuring workers with variable hours have predictability and certainty, in a 152-page interim report tabled this afternoon.
A leading gender and IR expert says Australian policymakers should "pay attention" to a UK parliamentary inquiry's recommendation that the Johnson Government make menopause a protected characteristic under anti-discrimination laws and that employers implement more menopause-friendly policies.
IR Minister Tony Burke has outlined some of the entitlements he would like the FWC to include in the minimum conditions it prescribes for gig workers, while emphasising that it will be up to the tribunal to decide what's in and what's out, but a leading IR academic who developed a state labor government's blueprint for labour hire regulation says the new Government's approach will provide "a limited solution".
The next federal government should establish free early childhood education, amend the Fair Work Act to provide a legal right to a living wage for all workers, extend paid parental leave to 32 weeks and make the treasury responsible for "gender responsive budgeting", according to an academic group's report.
The newly-announced review of the 1973 Maternity Leave Act provides an opportunity for the Federal Government to resume its role as a pacesetter, according to Sydney University's Professor Marian Baird.
As Telstra continues to bring call centre jobs back onshore and responds to changing needs during the pandemic, it says a new flexible work policy will support "location agnostic" and "hybrid" practices that open up flexibility options for all employees.
