The Victorian government says it is actively surveilling businesses failing to adhere to social distancing and personal protective equipment rules, under an ongoing WorkSafe “blitz” designed to promote compliance with COVID-19 regulations.
Australia’s health regulator has fined dozens of companies more than $800,000 for unlawfully advertising or illegally importing health products to profit from the pandemic.
In a historic decision, the Federal Court of Australia has ruled that workers have a legal right to toilet breaks and to drink water while at the workplace.
The Full Bench of the Fair Work Commission has upheld the dismissal of an employee with 30 years’ service and a satisfactory safety record after the employee breached a key safety protocol in which he had received adequate training.
Attending work conferences can be educational, inspiring and sometimes even a bit of fun. Some may even go as far as to say that there were more excited about the post-conference socialising than the topics being presented on.
Victorian Liberal MP Nick Wakeling says if negligence and mismanagement can be tied to the death of a person then prosecutions will be open against those responsible for Victoria’s hotel quarantine bungle.
As at 28 July 2020, employers are required to notify WorkSafe of any confirmed COVID-19 cases within their workplace. They must do so within 48 hours of becoming aware of a confirmed diagnosis.
A recent court case highlights the difference.
In Jamsek v ZG Operations Australia Pty Ltd [2020] FCAFC 119, the Full Court upheld an appeal that two delivery drivers were employees, not contractors. The Full Court held that, while a contractor relationship may exist in principle, it is the totality and reality of the relationship that will determine whether a person is a contractor or an employee.
It was the conflict of interest surrounding John Nagle’s wife and her contract with icare that proved to be the last straw. After a week of negative press and calls for his head, on the back of a joint media investigation with The Sydney Morning Herald and Four Corners, Nagle finally fell on his sword.
Employers are now required to notify WorkSafe immediately when they become aware a worker has received a confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) diagnosis.
A coronavirus outbreak at a Melbourne law firm is being probed following claims from a number of workers about its coronavirus practices.
There has been considerable publicity in the media recently about respiratory problems caused to people from the cutting of engineered stone kitchen benches.
