This article is the second part of a three part series which discusses similarities between the Australian Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (FWA) and Employment Rights Bill 2024 - 2025 (ERB) in Great Britain (GB). The FWA is the cornerstone of Australia’s national workplace relations system. It sets out the rights and responsibilities of employees, employers, and workplace participants such as trade unions. The ERB was published on 10 October 2024 and is currently progressing through Parliament. The government has described it as representing "the biggest upgrade in employment rights for a generation". (For further details on the ERB specifically, see our ERB tracker.) Since many of the ERB proposals are similar to Australia's existing law under the FWA, there are lessons GB could learn from the Australian experience in advance of the ERB's entry into force – which (for the vast majority of proposals) is not expected until 2026.
In this second part, we consider third party harassment, the duty to prevent sexual harassment, sexual harassment and whistleblowing, dismissal of pregnant employees/new mothers, flexible working, family leave, bereavement leave, and gender equality action plans. (If you missed part one of this series, you can read it here.)
(In the tables below, the left hand column summarises the position in Australia, while the right hand column sets out the ERB proposals.)
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United States President Donald Trump has taken to social media to announce that South Africa will not be allowed to attend next year’s Group of 20 (G20) intergovernmental forum in Miami, Florida. ...