Secure Jobs Better Pay Act – what’s changing

The Secure Jobs Better Pay Act is changing laws relevant to our work, including changes to bargaining, agreement making, sexual harassment cases and registered organisations.

The Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Secure Jobs Better Pay) Act 2022 received Royal Assent on 6 December 2022. It amends the following laws that are relevant to our work:

• Fair Work Act 2009
• Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009
• Fair Work (Transitional Provisions and Consequential Amendments) Act 2009

From 7 December 2022, the amendments will be commencing in stages over a 12 month period.

7 December 2022 (the day after Royal Assent)

• Objects of the Fair Work Act, modern awards objective, minimum wages objective
• Equal remuneration
• Prohibiting pay secrecy
• Anti-discrimination and special measures
• Termination of enterprise agreements after the nominal expiry date
• Sunsetting of “zombie” agreements
• Initiating bargaining
• Dealing with errors in enterprise agreements
• Communications to be available in multiple languages

• Prohibiting sexual harassment in connection with work
• Expert Panels
• Absorb the functions of the Registered Organisations Commission

• Flexible work and unpaid parental leave requests
• Enterprise agreement approval and the Better off overall test
• Bargaining disputes, industrial action, supported bargaining, single-interest employer authorisations, varying enterprise agreements to remove employers and their employees, and co-operative workplaces

• Fixed term contracts

Find out more

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Visit the Fair Work Ombudsman’s website for more information about the changes.