Australia: Employee Benefits & Compensation

Employees can bring underpayment claims under three different frameworks depending on the source of their entitlement: an employment contract, a modern award or an enterprise agreement, each with its own process, forum and remedies available.

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The Fair Work Commission has delivered its Annual Wage Review 2026 decision, announcing a 4.75% increase to the national minimum wage and modern award wages—significantly less than the 6% sought by unions.

From 1 July 2026, the Australian Government will introduce significant changes to employer-sponsored visas, affecting salary thresholds, visa costs and occupation classifications. Businesses that sponsor overseas workers must act now to stay compliant. This article outlines the key changes and provides practical guidance on how employers can prepare for these developments.

Australian small and medium businesses face growing payroll compliance risks driven by award complexity and increased employee scrutiny of wages using AI tools.

The Fair Work Commission has issued an emergency road transport contractual chain order requiring businesses in the road transport industry to adjust rates to account for increased fuel costs arising from Middle East conflicts. This order applies broadly across road transport contractual chains, imposing immediate obligations on primary and secondary parties to ensure fuel cost recovery flows through the supply chain.

NSW government declared its battle to tighten access to workers compensation is over, after a core element of its workers comp bill was defeated in parliament.

In the Media, Publication, Practice and Courts, Cases and Legislation.

Bill will require employers to more closely examine how their digital work systems affect employee health and safety, particularly in relation to workload, monitoring and decision-making.