The Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Vulnerable Workers) Bill 2017 (Bill) was introduced by the House of Representatives on 1 March 2017. A report of the Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee is presently due by 9 May 2017. It is anticipated that the Bill (in its current form or otherwise…
Protecting your brand & trade mark registration
Before choosing your brand: We have previously discussed important considerations when choosing the name of your business. Before you decide upon your brand (which may consist of a letter, word, name, number, logo, aspect of packaging, shape, colour, sound or scent) and launch it (including before you register your domain…
Does your business need a privacy policy?
The answer is mostly likely “yes”, even if you are a small business with annual turnover of less than $3,000,000. Under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act), various types of entities are, in summary, required to comply with a prescribed set of 13 “Australian Privacy Principles”. The first principle…
Minimum employment terms and conditions in Australia
Employers who wish to sponsor skilled employees from overseas are, in summary, required under the subclass 457 scheme to provide terms and conditions which are at least equivalent to those which an Australian citizen or permanent resident would achieve performing the same work at the same location. This is an…
Establishing an Australian branch of an overseas business vs an Australian subsidiary company of an overseas business
This article focuses on two frequently used methods for foreign companies to carry on business in Australia. Frequently, foreign companies do so either by establishing an Australian branch of their existing overseas business (i.e. it is the overseas business which trades in Australia) or, alternatively, the foreign company establishes an…
