This report looks at how behavioural insights techniques could be applied to reduce costs and barriers to access for employers and employees who use the Fair Work Commission’s services, and improve overall compliance with unfair dismissal and enterprise agreement lodgment requirements.

The key finding in this briefing paper is that casual workers vary substantially in their characteristics, making it hard to generalise about what a short-term or long-term casual worker looks like.

The Australian government is committed to an industrial relations system that balances the needs of both employees and employers, including those engaged in small business. This paper seeks input from the community about the operation of the current compliance and enforcement framework.

This inquiry, undertaken by former Chief Commissioner of the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission, Tony Beech, found that wage theft is occurring through underpayment of wages and entitlements, non-payment of wages or allowances for work performed, unauthorised or unreasonable deductions and non-payment of superannuation.

This updated research looks at the cumulative costs of unpaid overtime in Australia's economy. Survey data suggests the average Australian worker puts in almost 5 hours per week of unpaid overtime: coming in early, staying late, working through lunch and breaks and taking work home.