Australia’s Recent Federal Election Result: Implications for Employers

Australia went to the polls on Saturday, May 3rd, and elected the Australian Labor Party (ALP) with an overall majority in Australia's federal congress, known as the House of Representatives. The ALP will also hold a Senate majority when voting with the Australian Greens.

From an employment law perspective, this means that a raft of recent reforms is likely to remain in place for at least the next three years, including the criminalization of intentional wage theft, changes to parental leave, introduction of the right to disconnect, and the legal test for defining employment. The ALP has indicated that it may pursue liberalization of the law on non-competition provisions in employment contracts, and the Prime Minister has said that he favors minimum wage increases greater than inflation. The Australian Greens have indicated that they intend to pursue further reform, including trials of a four-day work week and 52 weeks of paid parental leave at replacement pay. 

Employers should seek legal counsel for strategic advice on planning for anticipated reforms.