Employment
Employment Act 1978 with reserved occupations for citizens
Minimum terms come from the Employment Act 1978 and determinations of the Minimum Wages Board, with collective bargaining under the Industrial Relations Act 1962 and a reserved occupations list protecting citizen employment.
Key rules
- Deadline — Notice periods scale with length of service under the Employment Act
- Deadline — A work permit is required before a non-citizen may be employed
Governing law
- Employment Act 1978 (s. 36)
- Industrial Relations Act 1962
- Employment of Non-Citizens Act 2007
- Industrial Safety, Health and Welfare Act 1961
In practice
The minimum wage is set by determination rather than in the Act itself, so the current rate must be checked against the latest Minimum Wages Board determination rather than the statute. Termination is governed by notice rather than by a general unjust-dismissal jurisdiction of the kind found in Australia or New Zealand, which means the remedy for a poorly handled dismissal is usually damages for inadequate notice rather than reinstatement. The reserved occupations list under the Employment of Non-Citizens Act closes specified roles to foreign workers, and enforcement of it is a live compliance risk for resource-sector employers.