This March 2026 edition of the Significant Workplace Relations Issues Report provides Australian Industry Group members with an update on a range of major developments.

A brief podcast, in which Australian Industry Group Head of National Workplace Relations Policy, Brent Ferguson, discusses some of the key issues in the report, is available here.

This March 2026 report, exclusive to Australian Industry Group members, includes:

• Key recent legislative developments, including the passing of a second tranche of Payday Superannuation legislation, the progression and inquiry into a Bill that has been introduced to address issues with the black coal long service leave scheme, changes to labour hire licensing legislation in South Australian and Victoria and the Victorian Government’s announcement that they would introduce working from home legislation to Parliament in July 2026.
• Major cases in the Fair Work Commission, including continuing proceedings concerning Gender-based Undervaluation in 'priority' modern awards, a hearing in the proceedings on a working from home clause for the Clerks - Private Sector Award 2020 and the Commission’s review of the part-time employment provisions in several awards. Significant proceedings also continue in relation to the TWU’s applications for minimum standards orders and road transport contractual chain orders, including in response to TWU pressure to address recent fuel cost increases occurring due to the Middle East conflict.
• Trends in enterprise bargaining.
• Government consultations into the adequacy of the National Employment Standards, an inquiry into the Fair Work Amendment (Right to Work from Home) Bill 2025 and a review of the Closing Loopholes amendments.
• Other major developments and Fair Work Commission and Federal Court cases decisions and applications relating to bargaining, the better off overall test, regulated labour hire arrangement orders, intractable bargaining, multi-enterprise bargaining and the NES right to request a flexible working arrangement.
• Workplace-related responses to AI, including the passing by the NSW Government of the first AI-specific workplace law through amendments to its WHS laws, an increased ACTU focus on consultation and retraining and changes to the Commission’s general protections jurisdiction to deal with the impact of generative AI.
• The most recent developments regarding diversity and inclusion, including the publishing of employer gender pay gap results by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency, recent sexual and racial harassment cases, an inquiry into racism and harassment of First Nations People and reports.