Bruce Heddle
One of Australia's leading employment and industrial relations litigators, Bruce has extensive experience advising clients in multiple industries.
View profile
Legal Insights
Employment Law in 2025: Key Updates
for Employers
By
•
19 November 2025
•
0 min read
2025 saw numerous, significant changes to employment law at a federal and state level. Below are the key developments in 2025 that employers, particularly those in Victoria and New South Wales, need to be aware of across Work Health & Safety, Industrial Relations, Restraints of Trade and Flexible Work Arrangements, AI, and Major Cases.
-
Work Health & Safety
- SafeWork NSW transitions to a standalone regulator.
- New industrial taskforce to be established within the NSW Department of Public Prosecutions.
-
Industrial Relations
- New criminal offence for intentional underpayment of wages (1 January 2025 commencement).
- Fair Work Commission test case on classification and pay under five major modern awards.
- Fair Work Commission hears case to abolish junior pay rates in modern awards.
-
Flexible Work Arrangements
- Noticeable increase in 2025 of flexible work disputes between employers and employees.
- Recent Victorian Government discourse around legislating ‘right’ to work from home for public and private sector employees.
-
Rise of Artificial Intelligence
- The Guidance maps 7 well documented risks and harms associated with AI systems against key Australian laws that are likely to apply, giving key stakeholders including legal, executive and leadership teams a clear legal anchor for governance decisions.
- This is a rapidly evolving space as the law struggles to catch up to the technological changes.
-
Major Cases
- FWO v Woolworths Group Limited; FWO v Coles Supermarkets Australia Pty Ltd [2025] FCA 1092: Federal Court clarifies the scope of set-off clauses in employment agreements.
Catherine Dunlop
Catherine is one of Australia's leading lawyers working with clients on work health and safety (WHS), behavioural investigations and inquests, inquiries and Royal Commissions.
View profileDale McQualter
Dale advises and acts for both private and public sector employers in the areas of workplace health and safety, employment, coronial inquests, and workplace investigations.
View profileLindy Richardson
Lindy advises on employment law, with a particular focus on industrial relations, employment, and anti-discrimination law.
View profileMaree Skinner
Maree is a highly regarded employment lawyer who supports clients in the management of their employee and industrial relations issues.
View profileMeaghan Bare
Meaghan advises on employment and workplace relations, with strong experience in restructures, discrimination and protections claims, terminations, award interpretation, Fair Work Commission advocacy and unfair dismissals.
View profileMichael Nicolazzo
Michael leads the Maddocks Employment & Workplace team in Victoria and provides practical, strategic advice on industrial relations, enterprise bargaining, discrimination, contracts, disciplinary matters and protections claims.
View profileOlivia Hillier
Olivia has extensive private practice experience combined with the unique insight gained from in-house experience with one of Australia’s largest employers.
View profileRoss Jackson
A leading employment lawyer, Ross has extensive experience advising government, statutory authorities and public and private sector organisations in employment and industrial relations matters.
View profile
By
Keep up to date with our legal insights and events
Sign upRecent articles
Legal Insights
Stronger Communities Bill 2026: What councils need to know about CEO employment changes and the Fair Jobs Code
By
Changes to employment arrangements for Council CEOs and the framework provided for the Local Government Fair Jobs Code.
Legal Insights
Victoria introduces ‘right to work from home’ legislation: What employers need to know
By
Victoria steps towards becoming the first Australian jurisdiction to legislate a statutory right to work from home.
Legal Insights
Gender-based undervaluation reviews of SCHADS and HPSS Awards
By
Gender-based undervaluation changes to the SCHADS and HPSS Awards: key dates and actions for NFP employers
Legal Insights
Road Transport Contractual Chain Orders under the Fair Work Act
By
Regarding the Road Transport Contractual Chain Order – Fuel Cost Recovery 2026, the Fair Work Commission published...
Partner
Sydney