Recordkeeping Rules Relaxed For Bosses
Recordkeeping Rules Relaxed For Bosses
Month Date, 2006: Recordkeeping rules for businesses have been relaxed in an amendment to the WorkChoices package as the High Court rules the changes are constitutionally valid.
The package of amendments was announced on the eve of the High Court’s decision this morning that rejected the state and territory-led challenge on the constitutional validity of the WorkChoices legislation.
Under the changes to recordkeeping rules, employers will no longer have to record all hours worked by employees. For full time employees, employers will only be required to keep records of penalty or overtime hours worked. However records must still be kept for the total amount of hours worked by both casual and part-time employees.
Changes also include the right for employees to cash out on sick leave and the provision for employers to stand down workers without pay who are left idle due to a natural disaster or industrial action. Rules to the accruement of annual leave have also been changed with leave to no longer accrued for time worked in addition to a 38-hour week.
The changes have reportedly been made to address legislative flaws in the WorkChoices package and reinforce more flexibility for employers.