To fix, or not to fix: unpacking the new changes to fixed term contracts.

“A better deal and a better future” was how The Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Secure Jobs, Better Pay) Act 2022 (the Act) started the biggest industrial relations reform we’ve seen in Australia since the introduction of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (FW Act) in 2009. Not only has this legislation introduced a raft of significant changes impacting Australian workplaces, but it also introduced tighter restrictions on the use of fixed term and maximum term contracts.

These new rules have been in effect since 6 December 2023, and impact workforces in a number of key ways.

Want to read more about the new rules and how they’ll impact your business? Read the full version of this article (and more!) by downloading the latest edition of our annual Workplace Relations Review here.

About our author

Brittany Byrne is a Partner and Solicitor at Citation Legal and is based in our Brisbane office. Brittany is a leading expert in providing workplace business solutions to employers in an array of industries.