Retail industry body the Australian Retailers Association (ARA), with the support of the Australian Government, has launched a series of free seminars and webinars to educate retailers and other employers about their obligations under the new Fair Work legislation.
ARA employment relations spokesperson Yvonne Anderson said it was critical retail employers operating in both metropolitan and regional areas understood new workplace laws to avoid penalties for non-compliance.
"With the federal overhaul of industrial relations legislation, the ARA is working with the Australian Government to ensure retailers have a clear and complete understanding of their new workplace obligations.
"Often retailers in remote areas miss out on critical information regarding changes to legislation, but we’re doing our best to make sure business owners from every corner of Australia have the opportunity to understand and comply with new workplace laws," said Anderson.
Some of the topics covered include 10 new National Employment Standards (NES), modern awards, unfair dismissals, Fair Dismissal Code for small business, collective bargaining, union right of entry, transfer of business and employer compliance.
Seminars will be held from September 2009 to March 2010 in metropolitan and regional areas right across the country.