New laws

These changes are part of the Fair Work Legislation (Closing Loopholes No. 2) Act 2024 amendments.

Under the new laws we can:

• make minimum standards orders and guidelines
• make road transport contractual chain orders and guidelines
• register collective agreements for registered workers and businesses  
• deal with disputes about unfair deactivation and termination

Some cases relating to the road transport industry must now also be determined by an Expert Panel for the road transport industry.

Watch a video about the new minimum standards jurisdiction.

Watch a video about the new unfair deactivation and unfair termination laws.

Find information about the applications for minimum standards orders we have received.

We can now deal with disputes about unfair contracts for independent contractors. 

We can cancel (set aside) or change (amend or vary) unfair terms that would relate to workplace relations matters if the independent contractor were an employee. 

Read about: 

• Independent contractor disputes about unfair contract terms including new laws about:
  • unfair contract terms for independent contractors
  • unfair terms in services contracts. 

Watch a video about unfair contract terms.

There is a new definition of casual employee, and we can now deal with disputes about the right of casual employees to become permanent (in some circumstances). 

Read about: 

• Casual to permanent status including new laws about:
  •  disputes relating to the right of casuals to become permanent employees
  • the definition of a casual employee. 

Read our fact sheet about the new casual employment laws (pdf).

We can now deal with disputes about the employee right to disconnect. 

Read about:

• Right to disconnect disputes includes new laws about:
  •  how we deal with disputes about the right to disconnect, including: 
    • stop orders, and 
    • changes to general protections. 

Read our fact sheet about the right to disconnect (pdf). 

Watch our animation about understanding the right to disconnect.

Section 15AA of the Fair Work Act 2009 takes effect from 26 August 2024. It sets out how to determine whether a relationship is an employment relationship for the purposes of the Fair Work Act. 

This section may impact our functions wherever employment status is an issue. A person whose earnings exceed the contractor high income threshold may choose to opt out of the section.

For news and updates before 26 August 2024 see our Closing loopholes – what’s changing webpage.

From 26 August 2024 news and updates will be published on this webpage.