This new edition of Australia’s most authoritative text on labour law provides a comprehensive account of the rules and processes governing employment and workplace relations, including the many changes to the Fair Work Act introduced by the Albanese Government’s Secure Jobs, Better Pay and Closing Loopholes amendments.

Developments covered in this edition include:

• the High Court’s new rules for determining employment status and the legislative reaction
• shifts in approach to identifying and regulating casual employment
• attempts to close the gender pay gap, including by restricting pay secrecy
• new or expanded rights on working hours and leave, including a ‘right to disconnect’
• attempts to revive enterprise bargaining, including through new options for multi-employer agreements and a process for resolving ‘intractable’ bargaining disputes
• strengthened obligations on sexual harassment, following the Respect@Work report
• changes to work health and safety laws, including on industrial manslaughter
• stronger penalties for ‘wage theft’ and greater protections for migrant workers
• new controls on fixed term contracts, labour hire, digital platform work, and independent contracting in road transport
• changes to the regulation of trade unions, including new rights for workplace delegates, and
• the rise and fall of special rules for industrial activity in the building industry.