Fair Work issues reminder about upcoming paid violence leave, and new pay secrecy law

New workplace laws about pay secrecy and what can be included in job advertisements now apply, and will affect all sectors and industries including early childhood education and care (ECEC). 

The changes are part of the Australian Government’s new Secure Jobs, Better Pay legislation that passed in December 2022.

The new laws include changes which:

• give employees the right to share (or not share) information about their pay
• ban pay secrecy terms in employment contracts and other workplace instruments 
• prohibit job ads with pay rates lower than the legal minimum entitlements that apply to the job (in an ECEC context, the Children’s Services award, VECTEA, and the Educational Services (Teachers) Award [MA000077]

These changes apply now, with some transitional arrangements. Fair Work has expanded its  website information and updated its resources in relation to these changes. Read more on:

• sharing pay information
• banning pay secrecy
• prohibited job ads. 

Fair Work’s job advertisement template has been updated with guidance to help employers meet the new requirements. Find it and other resources here. A full summary of the changes brought about by the Secure Jobs, Better Pay legislation is available here. 

Paid family and domestic leave in play from 1 February 2023 

Fair Work also issued a reminder that from 1 February 2023, employees of non-small business employers (employers with 15 or more employees) can access ten days of paid family and domestic violence leave every 12 months. Employees of small business employers can access this leave from 1 August 2023.

Find out more at New paid family and domestic violence leave.