Trouble at work, in plain English.
Sacked unfairly? You have 21 daysWho can make an unfair dismissal claim, what the Fair Work Commission looks at, what you can get, and the 21-day deadline that cannot be ignored.Sacked for complaining, being sick or pregnantIt is unlawful to sack you for asserting your rights, for a protected attribute or for a short illness. No minimum service, no income cap, and the employer has to prove its reason.How much notice your employer owes youThe minimum notice table, the extra week for over-45s, pay in lieu of notice, who misses out, and what you owe when you resign.Made redundant. What you are owedThe redundancy pay table from 4 to 16 weeks, what counts as a genuine redundancy, the small business and short-service exclusions, and what to check before you sign.Your final pay, and when it is dueWhat has to be in your last pay (wages, unused annual leave and loading, notice, redundancy), what is not paid out, and the deadlines.Underpaid? You can go back six yearsHow to check whether you have been underpaid, the records your employer must keep, the small claims route up to $100,000, and when underpayment becomes a crime.Find your award before you check your payHow awards, enterprise agreements and the National Minimum Wage fit together, how to find yours, and the 2026-27 minimum rates.Can your boss take it out of your pay?The four ways a deduction can be lawful, why till shortfalls and breakages rarely qualify, and the extra rule for workers under 18.Casual for six months? You can ask to go permanentThe employee choice pathway: who can notify, the 21-day response, the only grounds for refusal, and what changes if you convert.Bullied at work. What the Commission can and cannot doThe legal definition of bullying, who can apply for an order to stop it, why the Commission cannot award money, and the other routes that can.
Who this covers. This guide is about people in the national workplace system, which is most people working in the private sector in Australia. Depending on your state, if you work for a state government department or a council, or in Western Australia for a sole trader, partnership or some trusts, state laws may apply instead, although some federal protections, such as unlawful termination, still cover you. The Fair Work Ombudsman (13 13 94) can tell you which system you are in.
This is general information about the law, not advice about your situation. It was checked against the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) as compiled on 7 July 2026 and the Fair Work Commission and Fair Work Ombudsman figures for 2026-27. Atuny is not a law firm.