Understand the workforce
Review roles, locations, working arrangements, headcount and the factual distinction between employment and independent services.
PRACTICE AREA / 02
Labour & employment
Clear terms for everyday working relationships.
Employment documents and HR policies for small and mid-sized businesses, read against the four Labour Codes and the applicable state rules.
SUBJECTS WITHIN THIS AREA
What a review may cover.
Align the documents
Consider appointment letters, salary structure, fixed-term arrangements, consultancy terms and core policies against the Codes.
Support implementation
Identify payroll and policy questions, responsibilities, record-keeping and how changes are communicated to staff.
DOCUMENTS & PRACTICAL OUTPUTS
From questions
to a working record.
Depending on the agreed scope, the work may involve the following. Deliverables and responsibilities are confirmed before an engagement.
- Workforce and policy document review
- Appointment-letter and consultant-agreement drafts
- Core HR policy set for the organisation
- Implementation questions and responsibility register
A PRACTICAL STARTING POINT
Questions to
bring to the table.
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0 of 5 topics considered
Select the topics you have considered.
COMMON QUESTIONS
A little more context.
Labour Code, transitional and state-level requirements need a current, establishment-specific review.
Ministry of Labour & Employment: Labour Codes ↗Can the same policy set be used for every SME?
Requirements vary by location, establishment, workforce and activity. A template needs a factual applicability review.
Does calling someone a consultant settle their status?
No. The label is not conclusive; the actual relationship and the statutory tests need to be examined.
RELATED READING
Updates in this area.
The four Labour Codes are in force: the employment documents an SME should update
With the Labour Codes effective from 21 November 2025, this note maps the statutory provisions that change how appointment letters, salary structures, leave policies, exit settlements and contractor arrangements should be drafted.
28 OCT 2026 · Law stated as at this dateRead ↗