More changes to Employer obligations continue to roll out with critical dates almost here.

June 6th 2023 is a big day, with many changes brought about last December finally rolling through to become compliance issues you need to ensure you’re across.

We’ve provided a brief summary of all these changes below:

June 6th 2023: Pay Secrecy Deadline
In December 2022, the government made any contract clause or term that prevented employees from discussing their pay openly, unlawful. Employers had between then and June 6th 2023 to amend their contracts.

From June 6th 2023, employers that issue new employment contracts with a pay secrecy clause or term will be liable for $66,000 penalties per breach.

June 6th 2023: Zombie Agreement Deadline
The government has set the date (December 2023) when Zombie Agreements (work choices era enterprise agreements) will terminate, reverting employees covered by said agreements to the Modern Awards.

Employers have until 6th June 2023 to communicate to their workforce about the upcoming termination date and what will change about their terms and conditions.

We urge all employers with a Zombie Agreement to take heed with this deadline – the Fair Work Commission has published a list of Employers that have said agreements, making it very easy to impose audits to check for compliance to these deadlines.

June 6th 2023: Changes to Agreement Making
We believe many employers will be impacted by the changes to agreement making, whether you’re intending to make Enterprise Agreements or not.

As of June 6th 2023, there is increased access to enterprise agreement making, via:

Single interest bargaining
Supported bargaining
Cooperative bargaining
It is imperative employers understand what these changes could mean for them.

June 6th 2023: Changes to Extending Parental Leave
As of 6th June 2023, employers should seek assistance with any requests to extend unpaid parental leave. There are changes to the way these requests shall be handled, responded to, and managed, and the Fair Work Commission now has the power to deal with disputes.

June 6th 2023: Changes to Flexible Working
As of 6th June 2023, employees are able to access flexible working arrangements more easily than before, and employers have specific obligations on how to handle, respond, and manage these requests.

June 6th 2023: Registered Organisations Commission Abolished
As of 6th June 2023, the Turnbull governments Registered Organisations Commission – a body that oversaw the conduct of Unions, will be finally abolished, with its functions being moved to the Fair Work Commission.

July 1st 2023: Increase to Superannuation Entitlements
From 1st July 2023, employees will be entitled to a minimum of 11% Superannuation, an increase from the current 10.5%.