Award servicing and interpretation

The award system has undergone considerable changes in recent years and can be a difficult landscape for businesses to navigate. Of significance is the modernisation of the award system.

The award modernisation process involved the review of more than 1500 state and federal awards with a view to replace such awards with 122 industry and occupation awards –termed ‘modern awards’.

Achieving the government’s end goal of consolidating awards to create a streamlined national system of modern awards, involves a transitional process. This process –which is ongoing and continues to introduce changes that your business needs to be attuned to –can present a number of challenges for businesses.

Our advice allows you to understand the role modern awards may play in regulating the terms and conditions of your employees’ employment. This insight is important since there are only limited circumstances that enable a business to obtain flexibility from their award obligations –generally a business cannot ignore how an award interacts with (and sometimes restricts) the way your workforce and business function. Your business may face liability if you do not comply with your legal obligations.

Australian Business Lawyers & Advisors can provide you with a range of high quality services to assist in navigating the modern award system, including:

• Identifying the appropriate modern award/s that apply in your workplace
• Deciphering where specific roles in your organisation fit within the modern award classification structure
• Ascertaining the correct minimum wages, loadings and penalties in light of the transitional provisions contained in the relevant modern award
• Understanding how a particular term of the modern award should be applied in practice,
• Understanding the relationship between the relevant modern award and the national employment standard (the NES)
• Assisting your organisation meet its legal obligations under the relevant modern award,
• Keeping you informed about changes to modern awards, and
• Providing representation on award issues, including underpayment of wages.

For further information or advice about awards, please contact us or call for a confidential discussion. We welcome your enquiry.