Fair Work or not Fair Work... that is the question!

We are regularly hearing stories of businesses that have been after HR and employment advice, and have done (or so they thought) the right thing in googling Fair Work, and going to the horse’s mouth for advice, only to find that they are being asked to pay for the “Fair Work” advice.

Let’s get one thing straight… right from the start… Fair Work DO NOT charge for advice – they are a government agency, and their sole responsibility is providing information and advice about your workplace rights and obligations, both as an employer and an employee.

Fair Work have a comprehensive website, which provides links, calculators, and information regarding these entitlements and obligations. They also have means of contacting them – and if you do speak to somebody, they do not charge for their services.

Here are a few other things to be on the lookout for, to ensure that you have landed on the correct website when seeking Fair Work information:

1. The Fair Work website is a federal government-provided service. The website will always end in .gov.au.
2. You are not required to register or provide business information to access details on the Fair Work website. While you can choose to subscribe to email updates, you do not need to provide ANY information to access the available resources.
3. Fair Work does not endorse any organisation for the provision of advice. Any business claiming to be “endorsed and accredited by Fair Work” is being deceptive. Government agencies are business-neutral – they do not, and cannot, endorse private enterprises for providing information.
4. They will not require you to arrange an appointment to have someone visit you on-site to assess your query.
5. Fair Work will not redirect your call or query to external numbers or websites. They will, however, provide links directly to relevant content on their website – always look for the .gov.au extension.

Caveat Emptor (buyer beware). Take note of the above, and if you’re using any search engine to find information about employees, entitlements, wages, or conditions – always check that the site you click through to is the official one.

The stories we’re hearing of businesses being duped by these imposters are heartbreaking – being coerced into long-term “support” contracts at exorbitant costs, with substandard service and information, and no cooling-off or termination clauses.

If you think you may have fallen victim to one of these businesses, contact the ACCC – they are keen to hear more about these deceptive practices.