Employee Class Actions: New claims in the flexible employment economy

The gig economy is reshaping employee class actions, with recent decisions classifying independent contractors and casual workers as employees. Historically, employee class actions were the monopoly of the union movement. But with the waning of union membership and influence, and the rise of the gig economy and large numbers of casual workers, litigation funders are […]

#MeToo is not over: sexual harassment claims to stay in the spotlight in 2019

Claims for sexual harassment have risen significantly in Australia during the past year, and they will keep rising. The recommendations from the National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces could mean new claim types emerge. A rise in claims, combined with the renewed focus on sexual harassment, will cause businesses to increasingly take out […]

Insurance for WHS fines – will they soon be prohibited?

Are fines appropriate penalties to deter companies and directors from breaching WHS laws when they can be indemnified by their insurers? Should insurance policies that cover these monetary penalties be made illegal and void? At the moment, companies and directors are able to insure against the risk of fines for breaches of WHS laws, however […]

A win for the cleaners – practice doesn’t require perfection

Last week the NSW Court of Appeal found in favour of a cleaning contractor in Argo Managing Agency Pty Ltd v Al Kammessy [2018] NSWCA 176. The Court reiterated that the duty of care owed by a cleaner is to exercise reasonable care to identify and remove potential hazards, not to guarantee that all hazards […]

Is an Occupier’s Liability for a Raised Platform Glaringly Obvious?

Ratewave Pty Limited v BJ Illingby [2017] NSWCA 103 Impact The New South Wales Court of Appeal had to consider whether the occupier of the Manly Pacific Hotel (Hotel) had been negligent in failing to safeguard their premises to avoid the risk of injury involving aesthetic or structural components. Even with Justice Fagan’s minority finding […]

Class Actions Update – Another Setback for MCI

On Monday, 12 December 2016, his Honour Justice Sifris of the Supreme Court of Victoria handed down judgment in the matter of Melbourne City Investments Pty Ltd v Myer Holdings Limited [2016] VSC 655. Click below to read a brief alert prepared by Cain Jackson and Edward O’Brien summarising the judgment and the implications for […]