Australia: Employee Benefits & Compensation

The NSW workers compensation scheme has introduced stricter guidelines for high-risk medications including opioids, benzodiazepines, and medicinal cannabis, with proposed reforms set to commence in October 2026...

When workers suffer repeated injuries to the same body part over years of employment, a critical question emerges: can permanent impairments from separate incidents be combined if they result in identical pathology?

The Australian Government released the 2026 Public Sector Workplace Relations Policy on 3 June 2026, setting parameters for enterprise bargaining across the Commonwealth public sector including APS and Non-APS agencies.

The Queensland Supreme Court has found that that a school did not breach the duty of care owed to an employee by failing to eject an aggrieved parent, by failing to activate a lockdown or by failing to forewarn the employee via telephone of the parent’s presence.

Australian employers face expanded workplace incident reporting obligations under new notification laws that broaden the scope of reportable events to include extended absences, work-related self-harm, violent incidents, and an enhanced definition of serious injuries. Understanding these changes and implementing robust tracking and reporting systems will be critical for compliance once states and territories adopt the amended model Work Health and Safety laws.

The quote sometimes attributed to Vladimir Lenin that “there are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen” seems particularly appropriate in relation to the 2026 Federal Budget.

It is not uncommon for employers to have a practice of making termination payments in the next pay cycle following termination of employment.

What is workers' compensation insurance? Who classifies as a worker? What if I am an employee of my own company?

This article outlines the key changes for 2026, including payday superannuation and Fair Work Commission reviews, and highlights what employers need to do to stay compliant and prepared.