Australia is an exciting country for international companies to trade and invest in, but Australian employment law may differ from other countries. We have helped multinational groups from the USA, United Kingdom, European Union and Singapore to manage any employment and human resources law issues for their Australian subsidiaries.
Being prepared for Australian employment law
It is important for all foreign companies to come to grips with the differences of Australian employment law before setting up a subsidiary or starting a business in Australia. Those differences include:
- The ability to enforce restraints of trade against former employees to protect confidential information and relationships with clients and workers.
- A Modern Award system which sets national minimum wage rates for a range of occupations in a range of industries.
- The ability to create enterprise agreements which set minimum wage rates for a range of employees at a particular company or enterprise.
- A variety of remedies for dismissal in addition to those required by the International Labour Organisation’s Termination of Employment Convention, including ‘adverse action’ or ‘general protections’ claims.
- A strong enforcement regime which leaves managers, directors, advisers and holding companies of employers liable for underpayments and other legal wrongs by employers.
- A compulsory superannuation system which requires payments to be made to pension schemes on behalf of all employees and many contractors.
Legal counsel and human resources people in large overseas companies can benefit greatly from the services of a specialist employment law firm. A boutique firm like JFM Law can provide quick, practical and cost effective workplace advice at all stages of business.
Get more information
To start a conversation about how we can help you with your Australian operations or your subsidiary down under, contact JFM Law on (02) 9199 8597 for a no obligation chat. If you would rather get in contact through email, send your question through or by email at wehelp@jfmlaw.com.au.
The information contained in this post is current at the date of editing – 03 June 2024.