Employment Law Articles

Expert articles and practical legal guides on employment law for australian businesses.

Solicitor Vs Lawyer In Australia: Key Differences Explained

Solicitor Vs Lawyer In Australia: Key Differences Explained

If you’re running a small business, it’s only a matter of time before you hit a “legal” moment. Maybe a customer refuses to pay. Maybe you’re hiring your first employee. Maybe you’re...

15 January 2026
Read more
Time in Lieu (TOIL) in Australia: Entitlements, Calculations and Payouts

Time in Lieu (TOIL) in Australia: Entitlements, Calculations and Payouts

Time off in lieu (often shortened to “TOIL”) can be a practical way to manage busy periods without blowing out payroll costs - especially if your business has seasonal peaks, client deadlines,...

15 January 2026
Read more
Maternity And Paternity Leave In WA: Employer Obligations

Maternity And Paternity Leave In WA: Employer Obligations

If you employ staff in Western Australia, chances are you’ll deal with a parental leave request at some point - whether that’s maternity leave in WA, paternity/partner leave, or adoption-related leave. For...

14 January 2026
Read more
Procedural Fairness In Australia: Fair Investigations And Discipline

Procedural Fairness In Australia: Fair Investigations And Discipline

When an employee issue lands on your desk, it can quickly turn from an awkward conversation into a high-risk legal problem. Whether you’re dealing with suspected misconduct, a performance problem, or a...

14 January 2026
Read more
Non-Compete Clauses In Australia: What Employers Need To Know

Non-Compete Clauses In Australia: What Employers Need To Know

If you’re building a small business or startup, you’ve probably invested serious time (and money) into your ideas, customer relationships, pricing, systems and people. So when a key employee leaves, it’s natural...

14 January 2026
Read more
Compassionate Leave Entitlements And Paid Days Off For Employers

Compassionate Leave Entitlements And Paid Days Off For Employers

When someone in your team experiences a death in the family, a serious illness, or a stillbirth or miscarriage, the last thing they need is a confusing back-and-forth about whether they can...

14 January 2026
Read more
Phantom Share Option Plans – 6 Things You Need To Know (2026 Updated)

Phantom Share Option Plans – 6 Things You Need To Know (2026 Updated)

Giving your best people a genuine “stake” in the business can be a powerful way to retain talent, align incentives, and keep everyone focused on growth. But for many Australian businesses, issuing...

14 January 2026
Read more
Can Employees Be Forced To Take A COVID-19 Test? What To Do If Staff Have Flu-Like Symptoms (2026 Updated)

Can Employees Be Forced To Take A COVID-19 Test? What To Do If Staff Have Flu-Like Symptoms (2026 Updated)

Even in 2026, COVID-19 hasn’t fully disappeared from Australian workplaces. What has changed is how we manage it: most industries are no longer operating under “one-size-fits-all” public health directions, and many businesses...

14 January 2026
Read more
What Does Fair Work Australia Say About Work Breaks? (2026 Updated)

What Does Fair Work Australia Say About Work Breaks? (2026 Updated)

Work breaks seem simple until you’re the one building rosters, covering shifts, and trying to keep a team happy (and productive) without accidentally breaching workplace laws. In Australia, “Fair Work Australia” is...

14 January 2026
Read more
Employee Separation Certificate: Centrelink Requirements For Employers

Employee Separation Certificate: Centrelink Requirements For Employers

If you employ staff, there’s a good chance you’ll be asked for an employee separation certificate at some point - often at short notice, and usually right after an employment relationship ends....

14 January 2026
Read more
Wage Theft In Australia: What Employers Need To Know

Wage Theft In Australia: What Employers Need To Know

If you run a small business or you’re building a startup, payroll can feel like one of those “set and forget” tasks - until it suddenly isn’t. In Australia, wage theft is...

14 January 2026
Read more
Fixed‑Term Contracts: Meaning, When to Use Them and Legal Risks in Australia

Fixed‑Term Contracts: Meaning, When to Use Them and Legal Risks in Australia

If you’re hiring in a small business, there’s a good chance you’ve come across the term “fixed‑term contract” and wondered whether it’s the right fit for your next role. On paper, fixed‑term...

14 January 2026
Read more
Sunday Casual Rates: What Employers Must Pay And How To Calculate Them

Sunday Casual Rates: What Employers Must Pay And How To Calculate Them

Running a small business often means weekend trade is where you make (or break) your week. But Sundays can also be where payroll gets confusing fast - especially when you’re rostering casual...

14 January 2026
Read more
Casual Employment In Australia: What Employers Need To Know

Casual Employment In Australia: What Employers Need To Know

If you run a small business in Australia, hiring casual staff can feel like the most flexible way to build your team. You can cover busy periods, trial new roles, and scale...

14 January 2026
Read more
Employment Law in Australia: 2026 Update

Employment Law in Australia: 2026 Update

Employment law in Australia doesn’t stand still. Award conditions get interpreted in new ways, the Fair Work Commission updates key settings (like minimum wages), and workplaces keep changing with technology, hybrid work,...

13 January 2026
Read more
Understanding Casual Worker Leave Entitlements In 2026

Understanding Casual Worker Leave Entitlements In 2026

Casual work is a big part of the Australian workforce. For many small businesses, casuals are essential for managing peak periods, seasonal demand and last-minute shift coverage. But casual employment can get...

13 January 2026
Read more
Quadrant-Style Private Equity: What Australian SMEs Should Know Before Investment

Quadrant-Style Private Equity: What Australian SMEs Should Know Before Investment

If you’re running an Australian SME and thinking about your next growth phase, you’ve probably considered outside capital at some point. Maybe you want to expand into new locations, hire a bigger...

13 January 2026
Read more
Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: Employer Obligations in Australia

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: Employer Obligations in Australia

What Counts As Sexual Harassment In The Workplace? In Australia, sexual harassment is generally understood as unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature in circumstances where a reasonable person would anticipate the possibility...

13 January 2026
Read more
Wage Compliance In Australia: What Employers Need To Know

Wage Compliance In Australia: What Employers Need To Know

When you’re building a small business or startup, payroll can feel like one of those “set and forget” admin tasks. But wage compliance in Australia is one area where small mistakes can...

13 January 2026
Read more
Workplace Diversity: What It Means Under Australian Law

Workplace Diversity: What It Means Under Australian Law

Diversity is more than a buzzword - and for small businesses, it’s not just a “big corporate” issue either. If you’re hiring your first team member, growing from 5 to 15 staff,...

13 January 2026
Read more
When To Hire Employment Lawyers In Australia: A Practical Guide

When To Hire Employment Lawyers In Australia: A Practical Guide

When you’re building a small business, employment issues can sneak up on you fast. One week you’re hiring your first team member, and the next you’re dealing with an underperformance issue, a...

13 January 2026
Read more
Casual Loading Rate In Australia: What Employers Need To Know

Casual Loading Rate In Australia: What Employers Need To Know

If you hire casual staff (or you’re thinking about it), you’ve probably heard the phrase “casual loading” come up in wage discussions, payroll software settings, or Award pay tables. But what is...

13 January 2026
Read more
What is A Contractor Agreement? (2026 Updated)

What is A Contractor Agreement? (2026 Updated)

Hiring contractors can be a great way to scale your business without taking on the ongoing commitments that come with employees. Maybe you need a graphic designer for a launch, a developer...

12 January 2026
Read more
2023 Changes To The Professional Employees Award 2020 (Updated 2026)

2023 Changes To The Professional Employees Award 2020 (Updated 2026)

If you employ engineers, IT professionals, scientists, or other “professional” roles, there’s a good chance the Professional Employees Award 2020 (often called the PE Award ) sits somewhere in your compliance checklist....

12 January 2026
Read more
Need support?

Need help with your business legals?

Speak with Sprintlaw to get practical legal support and fixed-fee options tailored to your business.