In this episode of Industrious Conversations, Ashurst Employment partners, Kathy Srdanovic and Jon Lovell, discuss the implications of the recent federal election for Australian employers in industrial relations. Together, they pinpoint the issues to watch out for including:

• Restraint of trade reforms
• Security of employment and enhanced safety net (NES) protections
• Bargaining;
• Long service leave changes; and
• AI in the workplace.

They discuss the likely changes to post-enmployment restraints, particularly non-compete clauses, the possible expansion of labour hire protections, the push towards preserving penalty rates, and increased protections in rostering and flexible work arrangements.

They also speculate on Australia’s prospects for forced bargaining, multi-employer bargaining, a universal long service leave scheme, and the regulation of artificial intelligence in the workplace. Along the way, they reflect on if and how the mooted changes might impact Australia’s lagging productivity.

To listen to this and subscribe to future episodes of Industrious Conversations, search for “Ashurst Legal Outlook” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast player. To find out more about the full range of Ashurst podcasts, visit ashurst.com/podcasts.

The information provided is not intended to be a comprehensive review of all developments in the law and practice, or to cover all aspects of those referred to. Listeners should take legal advice before applying it to specific issues or transactions.