Our grandparents worked for survival, our parents worked for a good standard of living, and our generation works for quality of life.
The time has gone when people were supposed to be grateful to their employers for providing an opportunity to earn. Today, there are more opportunities and laws to protect every employee.
People leave jobs they don’t enjoy.
Since not everyone has the skills or fair circumstances to quit, the government provides full support to help you maintain a good quality of life with your job.
You know you are to be treated with respect but you have a lot more rights than just that. Here we have discussed all employee rights supported by law that everyone with a job in Australia should know.
Safe Workplace
A safe work environment is the basic right of every professional. No one should have to go to an unsafe place to earn bread and butter.
Some professions like construction workers have to work in unsafe places, but the employer has to provide every safety gear to everyone. He has to make sure that no accidents occur, with or without the mistake of the employee.
If anything bad happens to you at your workplace, the employer has to take responsibility for that. Not only will he have to give paid leaves and pay for medical expenses, but he might also have to offer compensation if an injury is more serious.
Remember, they don’t just have to protect you from physical injuries.
They have to ensure that you don’t get any diseases or psychological issues because of the work, the workplace, or someone from the work. You can contact a personal injury lawyer in Perth if they deny you fair compensation. Not only will they have to compensate you more, but they will also have to pay the fee of your legal help.
Consequence-Free Complaints
Everyone knows that they have the right to file a complaint to their employer, HR manager, or court of law. What many don’t know is that these complaints are supposed to be consequence-free.
The employer or anyone from the company can’t punish you in any way for filing a complaint, even if you were proven wrong.
They can’t terminate your employment or stop an increment or promotion based on this. If they do, they will have to answer for it.
However, this doesn’t mean that you can defame an innocent and expect to get away with it. There are laws to ensure that no one can blackmail anyone with false allegations.
Monthly Payslips
Many don’t care about it, but every employer is obligated to provide payslips to his employees every month. You might not need it every day, but it becomes mandatory when you are applying for a new job.
For some reason, many companies don’t make the effort to design and provide payslips to their employees. As most companies transfer salaries directly to bank accounts, they no longer feel the need for payslips.
It’s no problem if you don’t have an issue with that. However, don’t be reluctant to ask when you need it.
They might get to know that you have applied for another job, but they can’t say no to this request.
Equal Rights
Equal rights mean no discrimination. You can’t be deprived of opportunities, rights, or incentives because of your gender, age, color, beliefs, appearance, disability, or health condition.
They also can’t make you do additional or more tiresome work because of it. If a company discriminates against you at the time of hiring, you can take legal action against them. Here are some examples to help you understand workplace discrimination better.
- Your employer can’t ask you to work on a day that has religious value for you.
- They can’t take disciplinary action because you came late due to pregnancy.
- You can’t be excluded from a group project because of your personal beliefs.
- Stopping you from conducting a presentation because of your appearance is direct discrimination.
Everyone has equal rights in the workplace and everyone gets equal opportunities. If you don’t get a promotion, increment, or incentive, it can only be based on your performance and nothing else.
Fair Work Information Statement
Knowledge is power and many employers don’t want to empower you. They know it would be difficult to take advantage of someone who is well aware of his rights. However, the Australian Government has made it mandatory for every company to provide its employees with the Fair Work Information Statement. They have to give it to you before or as soon as possible after your joining.
This statement tells you all about the conditions of your employment. It includes information such as:
- Your rights if you are terminated.
- How you can request flexible working arrangements.
- Modern award the company has to offer.
- The role of Fair Work Ombudsman.
- Everything you need to know about leaves.
Here you can read the complete Fair Work Information Statement that every business in Australia has to follow.
Maternity and Paternity Leaves
Every full-time employee gets four weeks of paid leave per year. This does not include maternal or paternal leaves.
If you are a mother to a newborn or just adopted a child, you are eligible for up to 18 weeks of leave paid at the national minimum wage, which is $20.33 per hour or $772.60 per week.
Fathers get up to two weeks of paid leave.
These payments are made by the Australian Government directly to the employee, and your employer can’t deny you these leaves.
Severance Package
When a company hires you, they take responsibility for your bread and butter. They can’t just hire or fire you as they please. It takes time to find a new job and you might have left another opportunity for your current job.
It’s no problem if you leave the job with your choice, but they can’t terminate your employment without taking responsibility.
You are entitled to a severance package if they end your contract before its due date.
They have to multiply a couple of weeks of salary to the number of years you have been working with them to calculate the severance package.