Refresher: What happened in 2022?
There is no doubt that late 2022 was a busy and interesting time for employment, human resources and industrial relations practitioners.
In November and December 2022, three key pieces of industrial relation’s legislation were enacted:
- The Fair Work Amendment (Paid Family and Domestic Violence Leave) Act 2022 (Paid FDV Leave Act), receiving Royal Assent on 9 November 2022
- The Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Secure Jobs, Better Pay) Act 2022 (SJBP Act), receiving Royal Assent on 6 December 2022
- The Anti‑Discrimination and Human Rights Legislation Amendment (Respect at Work) Act 2022 (Respect at Work Act), receiving Royal Assent on 12 December 2022 (together, Acts)
Collectively, the Acts introduced a wide range of amendments to the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (FW Act) and the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth) (SD Act).
The commencement of each of the amendments will be staggered. Meaning, although parts of the legislative changes commenced the day after royal assent in 2022, other parts will come into effect at various times during 2023. As such, employers and human resources and industrial relations practitioners should remain alive to the changes occurring in 2023 and plan for their introduction.
This article provides an overview of the key commencement dates under the Acts for employers and human resources and industrial relations practitioners throughout 2023.
We encourage employers to refer to our series of articles for more information about the details and impact of the Acts (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Respect at Work amendments).
Key Dates
Next steps for employers
As employers finalise their 2023 strategies, we recommend taking the time to:
- review and diarise the key dates
- consider what new amendments are of particular relevance to the business
- address any pre-emptive steps which can be taken to prepare for the new provisions
- review current contracts and policies
- reflect on workplace culture and overall strategy.
