Workplace rights and obligations for casual employees have been changed, with changes to take effect from 27 March 2021. These changes to the Fair Work Act 2009 make some improvements to the rights of casual workers.
Most importantly:
- Employers must give every new casual employee a “Casual Employment Information Statement” (the CEIS) before or as soon as possible after, they start their new job.
That Statement is available on the Fair Work web site at https://www.fairwork.gov.au/employee-entitlements/national-employmentstandards/casual-employment-information-statement - There is a new definition of ‘casual employment’ which means that you are a casual employee if you accept a job offer from an employer knowing that there is no firm advance commitment to ongoing work with an agreed pattern of work. Once employed as a casual, you continue to be a casual employee until you either:
- Become a permanent employee through “casual conversion” or are offered and accept the offer of full-time or part-time employment, or
- stop being employed.
- “Casual Conversion”. The amending act adds a new entitlement to the National Employment Standards (NES) giving casual employees a pathway to become a full-time or part-time (permanent) employee. These changes do not apply to: small business employers or if the employer has reasonable grounds not to make an offer to a casual employee for casual conversion.
