The Australian Government has passed the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Secure Jobs, Better Pay) Act 2022. This legislation amends the Fair Work Act to change a number of existing rules and introduces a range of new workplace laws.

The new laws start on different dates. Read on for more information about the changes and when they start.

On this page:

• Key changes
• What applies now
• Stay updated
• More information

Key changes

Timeline showing key start dates for changes under the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Secure Jobs, Better Pay) Act 2022. Use your website browser to help zoom in. You can also access a downloadable version: Secure Jobs, Better Pay timeline.

The Fair Work Act has been amended to change a number of existing rules and include a range of new laws. Many of these changes start on 7 December 2022, but other changes start later.

Find out more about these changes and when they start:

• Pay secrecy, job ads and flexible work
• Gender equality measures and small claims process
• Enterprise agreements and enterprise bargaining
• Abolition of the ABCC and the ROC

What applies now

The following changes have started:

Job security and flexible work

• new rules for fixed term contracts
• new workplace rights on disclosing pay and workplace conditions
• prohibiting pay secrecy
• unlawful job ads
• changes to flexible work

Gender equality measures and small claims process

• new protected attributes in the Fair Work Act:
  • breastfeeding
  • gender identity
  • intersex status
• new objects of the Fair Work Act, modern awards and minimum wages
• equal remuneration principles and orders
• functions we perform, including around guidelines and community outreach in multiple languages
• prohibition of sexual harassment in connection with work
• new expert panels
• unpaid parental leave changes
• enhanced small claims process

Enterprise agreements and enterprise bargaining

• termination of enterprise agreements after their nominal expiry date
• sunsetting of ‘zombie’ agreements
• initiating bargaining
• dealing with errors in enterprise agreements
• other changes to enterprise agreements and bargaining

Abolition of the ABCC and the ROC

• abolition of the ABCC
• abolition of the ROC
• creation of the National Construction Industry Forum

Stay updated

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More information

For more information, you can:

• access fact sheets on the new laws from the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations – Secure Jobs, Better Pay
• read the legislation at Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Secure Jobs, Better Pay) Act 2022
• read the joint media release from the Prime Minister the Hon. Anthony Albanese and Hon. Tony Burke MP, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Delivering Secure Jobs and Better Pay