Working the gig economy: The organisation of digital platform work. This project aims to reveal the characteristics, motivations and relationships between the three central entities which comprise digital platform work: companies which organise work of different skill and scale in the gig economy; end-user individuals and enterprises; and digital platform workers themselves. This project investigates the organisation of platform work from the perspective of both workers and the intermediaries th ....Working the gig economy: The organisation of digital platform work. This project aims to reveal the characteristics, motivations and relationships between the three central entities which comprise digital platform work: companies which organise work of different skill and scale in the gig economy; end-user individuals and enterprises; and digital platform workers themselves. This project investigates the organisation of platform work from the perspective of both workers and the intermediaries they use to find work. Expected outcomes will contribute g to knowledge of workforce transitions and shifting work/home boundaries This has the potential to informeffective policy responses to platform work with respect to labour law, superannuation regulation, organisational policy and social welfare regimes.Read moreRead less
Australian supply chain regulation: practical operation and regulatory effectiveness. This project uses empirical research to examine the practical operation and effectiveness of three innovative Australian regulatory models designed to improve working conditions in supply chains in the clothing, long-haul transport and cash-in-transit industries. The project will result in proposals for reform and improved working conditions.
The regulation of labour disputes in Southeast Asia. This project aims to investigate the complex regulation of labour disputes in Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Effective rules and institutions for the resolution of collective labour disputes are integral features of a sound industrial relations system. Yet in many developing countries, formal channels for the resolution of such disputes are largely ineffective. This heightens the risk of industrial disruption and encourages reliance o ....The regulation of labour disputes in Southeast Asia. This project aims to investigate the complex regulation of labour disputes in Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Effective rules and institutions for the resolution of collective labour disputes are integral features of a sound industrial relations system. Yet in many developing countries, formal channels for the resolution of such disputes are largely ineffective. This heightens the risk of industrial disruption and encourages reliance on informal modes of regulation. The project will provide an empirical analysis of existing models of labour regulation, and inform policy development and the activities of agencies involved in labour dispute resolution in the region. It will better equip researchers, legal practitioners, policy makers and NGOs engaging transnationally in the Asia Pacific region.Read moreRead less
Work Experience: Labour Law at the Intersection of Work and Education. This project aims to examine the regulatory challenges relating to post-secondary work experience, such as internships, in the areas of labour and employment, anti-discrimination and workers compensation law in Australia. The analysis is designed to establish a global and comparative context, examining policy and regulatory responses in Canada, Europe (including Britain), New Zealand, and the United States of America and at t ....Work Experience: Labour Law at the Intersection of Work and Education. This project aims to examine the regulatory challenges relating to post-secondary work experience, such as internships, in the areas of labour and employment, anti-discrimination and workers compensation law in Australia. The analysis is designed to establish a global and comparative context, examining policy and regulatory responses in Canada, Europe (including Britain), New Zealand, and the United States of America and at the international level. By offering a comprehensive analysis of the theoretical and practical implications of law's boundary between work and education, it is expected to identify optimum approaches to the regulation of post-secondary work experience, and thereby expand policy debates and enhance future law reform.Read moreRead less
Workplace Death and Injury: Re-visiting the Regulatory Impact of Prosecution and Deterrence. The project will be conducted in Australia's two most populous States and falls squarely within the Commonwealth Government's mission of 'promoting good health and well being for all Australians' - one of the key national research priorities. In particular the project supports the specific goal of 'strengthening Australia's social and economic fabric' by examining the role played by legal prosecution o ....Workplace Death and Injury: Re-visiting the Regulatory Impact of Prosecution and Deterrence. The project will be conducted in Australia's two most populous States and falls squarely within the Commonwealth Government's mission of 'promoting good health and well being for all Australians' - one of the key national research priorities. In particular the project supports the specific goal of 'strengthening Australia's social and economic fabric' by examining the role played by legal prosecution of OH&S offences in deterring serious workplace injuries and fatalities. It is anticipated that the results of the project will be used to reduce the heavy costs that current rates of workplace injuries and deaths impose on Australian workers, their families and the national economy. Read moreRead less
Protected Action Ballots and Protected Industrial Action under the Fair Work Act: The Impact of Ballot Procedures on Enterprise Bargaining Processes. Under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth), lawful industrial action may be taken by employees in support of collective bargaining, provided that they have first authorised the action in a secret ballot. This research project explores the effect of the statutory process by which a bargaining representative of such employees seeks permission from the Fair W ....Protected Action Ballots and Protected Industrial Action under the Fair Work Act: The Impact of Ballot Procedures on Enterprise Bargaining Processes. Under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth), lawful industrial action may be taken by employees in support of collective bargaining, provided that they have first authorised the action in a secret ballot. This research project explores the effect of the statutory process by which a bargaining representative of such employees seeks permission from the Fair Work Commission to conduct a ballot. It will examine the impact of the ballot requirement and statutory process on decision-making by bargaining representatives and subsequent employee access to industrial action in order to understand the effect of the regulatory scheme on enterprise bargaining behaviour. It is the first empirical study of strike ballots, analysing an important public policy area.Read moreRead less
Partnerships at Work: The Interaction Between Employment Systems, Corporate Governance and Ownership Structure. This project examines the interaction of key factors seen to be of paramount importance in the creation and sustainability of 'Partnerships at Work'. These include particular employment systems, forms of corporate governance and ownership structures of enterprises. The circumstances in which partnership models arise, the pressures faced in maintaining them, and the role of the regulato ....Partnerships at Work: The Interaction Between Employment Systems, Corporate Governance and Ownership Structure. This project examines the interaction of key factors seen to be of paramount importance in the creation and sustainability of 'Partnerships at Work'. These include particular employment systems, forms of corporate governance and ownership structures of enterprises. The circumstances in which partnership models arise, the pressures faced in maintaining them, and the role of the regulatory environment will be examined through case studies and the construction of a database. It involves collaboration between senior scholars in corporate law and labour law. The project will enhance the capacity of governments, enterprises and stakeholders to review employment practices, governance structures and regulatory models.Read moreRead less
Balancing law and life. Law firms have been transformed as a result of mergers, incorporation and listing on the stock exchange. The centrality of competition and globalisation has jeopardised any possibility of a work/life balance. This project will examine the tensions in trying to effect a balance for lawyers expected to work 24/7.
'Nothing Can Be Created Out of Nothing': Workers, Their Know-How and the Employment Relationships that Support Them. The importance of innovation, either in the form of intellectual property or know-how, to the Australian economy cannot be over-stated. Unlike statutory intellectual property schemes, worker-created know-how is both 'incentivised' and controlled through the contractual provisions of the worker-employer relationship. This project, through its empirical focus, will explore if (and h ....'Nothing Can Be Created Out of Nothing': Workers, Their Know-How and the Employment Relationships that Support Them. The importance of innovation, either in the form of intellectual property or know-how, to the Australian economy cannot be over-stated. Unlike statutory intellectual property schemes, worker-created know-how is both 'incentivised' and controlled through the contractual provisions of the worker-employer relationship. This project, through its empirical focus, will explore if (and how) the law, as it relates to know-how, promotes innovation in the workplace. Through the development of guidelines for best practice and reform proposals to fill gaps in the law, this research will increase the potential for innovation in all worker-employer relationships which will, in turn, maximise this country's creative and technological capability. Read moreRead less
Employment consequences of criminal behaviour: Double punishment or just deserts? Employment deprivations are hardships often consequent upon findings of criminal guilt and additional to criminal sanctions imposed by the courts - a convicted person may be dismissed from employment or ineligible to apply for certain jobs, particularly public sector positions. There are no settled legal principles governing inter-play between criminal behaviour and employment status and opportunities. Unfairness ....Employment consequences of criminal behaviour: Double punishment or just deserts? Employment deprivations are hardships often consequent upon findings of criminal guilt and additional to criminal sanctions imposed by the courts - a convicted person may be dismissed from employment or ineligible to apply for certain jobs, particularly public sector positions. There are no settled legal principles governing inter-play between criminal behaviour and employment status and opportunities. Unfairness may result, as the offence effectively attracts a 'double' punishment; an offender's rehabilitative prospects are impeded; social and economic burdens ensue.
The project aims to develop comprehensive policy guidelines concerning the appropriate connection between criminal behaviour and employment status for courts, governments and employers.Read moreRead less