Need help on the new Fair Work system The Office of Industrial Relations on Fair Work will be conducting a series of FREE workshops in NSW.  These will be held in Bathurst on 16 March (2-5pm) and also Cowra on 17 March (9am-12noon). These may assist you to better understand the employers responsibilities on compliance matters. You can download the registration form for the workshops here or use the contact details listed below. Here’s a brief summary of the main areas your should be aware of: NSW Joins the National Industrial Relations System – Fair Work The NSW Government’s decision to refer industrial relations regulations to the national system means all NSW private sector businesses are covered by the provisions of the Fair Work Act from 1 January. The legislation was passed by the NSW Parliament on 2 December. The National Employment Standards set minimum entitlements for all employees in the national system. You need to understand them and their influence on how you deal with employees in the future. Briefly the National Employment Standards are: Maximum weekly hours (38 per week) Requests for flexible working arrangements Parental leave and related entitlements Annual leave Personal/carer's leave and compassionate leave Community service leave Long service leave Public holidays Notice of termination and redundancy pay Fair Work Information Statement If you are interested in attending the Workshops please complete the registration form attached or email irworkshops@services.nsw.gov.au. You can view further workshops at: http://www.industrialrelations.nsw.gov.au/Workshops/Workshops_by_location.html Information on the National Employment Standards is available on both www.industrialrelations.nsw.gov.au and www.fairwork.gov.au