Federal Government proposes unfair dismissal changes
November 2008
Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland recently met with Federal Minister Craig Emerson to discuss the Government's proposed changes to the unfair dismissal laws.
Under the government's proposal, unfair dismissal laws will apply to businesses with 15 or more employees. Special arrangements will apply for small businesses with fewer than 15 employees who are unlikely to have internal HR departments and cannot readily redeploy employees into other positions or workplaces.
Compared with larger businesses, small business owners will benefit from:
- A doubling of the qualifying period from six to 12 months, during which time employees cannot make a claim for unfair dismissal; and
- A simple Fair Dismissal Code, to ensure that a dismissal is not unfair.
It is expected that these changes will be introduced early in 2009, aiming for commencement in July 2009. For further information contact Stephen Nance at snance@cciq.com.au.
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