Wageline has a range of resources in languages other than English to help employees resolve underpayments and report wage theft. The Report Wage Theft website at www.wagetheft.wa.gov.au has information in Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Italian, Korean, Vietnamese and English that assists Western Australian workers with how to: seek help with resolving an underpayment issue or...

Wageline has new resources for small business employers at www.dmirs.wa.gov.au/WA-employers to explain: the two systems of employment law that operate in Western Australia and how to determine which one covers your business; and where to find information on pay rates and employment obligations for your employees so that you comply with your legal obligations. Many small business employers in WA...

Private Sector Labour Relations has just launched a new community education campaign to help Western Australian employers and employees understand employment rights. The Employment Rights in WA campaign aims to raise employers’ and employees’ awareness of their employment rights and obligations and the pathways for employees to resolve an alleged underpayment. A key part of the campaign is...

Business owners and their accountants need to be aware that when someone purchases a business or part of a business in Western Australia, if there has been a transmission of business, the new owner will take on the long service leave obligations for existing employees, and this is regardless of anything written in a sale of business contract. In order to be entitled to long service leave under...

The school holidays are just starting and many young workers will be keen to earn some extra money by working over the break, but in Western Australia there are restrictions on where and when children under 15 can work. Employers, parents and young workers need to know that children who are 13 or 14 can only work in a shop, fast food outlet, cafe, restaurant or deliver newspapers or other...

The state minimum wage and all WA award rates of pay are increasing by 2.5% from the first pay period on or after 1 July 2021. The Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission issued the 2021 State Wage Case decision on 24 June 2021. Wageline now has available the July 2021 versions of its WA award summaries which include the new rates of pay that will apply from 1 July 2021, and has...

Many WA awards require employees to be paid a location allowance when employed in certain regional towns. Location allowances have just been increased by the 2021 Location Allowance General Order, and new rates take effect from the first pay period on or after 1 July 2021. The new rates for each town and a list of the relevant WA awards are available on the Location Allowance for employees in...

Award coverage for pharmacy assistants employed by businesses in the state industrial relations system has long been a complex and contested issue. On 3 May 2021, the Western Australian Industrial Appeal Court issued a decision determining that the state Shop and Warehouse (Wholesale and Retail Establishments) Award does cover pharmacy assistants. This decision is available on the WA Industrial...

Wageline is marking one year since the launch of the WA long service leave calculator. Over the past year the long service leave calculator has proven to be a valuable tool for both employers and employees, with it being accessed over 74,000 times. The WA long service leave calculator provides an estimate of an employee’s long service leave entitlement when employment ends, for those covered by...

Each year Wageline receives many calls from employers and employees regarding deductions from pay. In the WA state industrial relations system, it is unlawful for an employer to deduct any money from an employee’s wages unless that deduction has been authorised in writing by the employee, or the deduction is authorised by a WA award or agreement, a court order, or a state or federal law. A common...

Western Australian workers can find out how to report deliberate underpayment of wages or entitlements at www.wagetheft.wa.gov.au . The Reporting wage theft in Western Australia website assists workers with how to: seek help with resolving an underpayment issue or unpaid annual or long service leave; report wage theft anonymously to the relevant government department; or seek help with unpaid...