The Fair Work Commission is Australia’s national workplace relations tribunal. Its role is to assist employees and employers to maintain fair and productive workplaces. The Commission is an independent body that operates under the Fair Work Act 2009.
Some of its roles include:
Individuals can come to the Commission if they believe they have been:
The Commission does not handle complaints about wages, superannuation or workplace safety. Each of these matters is handled by other government agencies. The video on this page explains which agency to call on for help in different circumstances.
The Fair Work Ombudsman is a separate organisation from the Fair Work Commission.
The Ombudsman plays an important role in ensuring that workers receive their correct wages, holidays and entitlements. It can provide you with advice about the minimum entitlements in modern awards and the Fair Work Act.
If you’re not getting the right entitlements the Fair Work Ombudsman can also help you resolve these issues through processes like mediation.
In cases of serious non-compliance its inspectors can investigate possible breaches of workplace laws.
The Fair Work Ombudsman’s website has information:
The Fair Work Ombudsman’s website is at www.fairwork.gov.au.
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) polices superannuation entitlements. It can tell employers how much superannuation should be paid to employees. And it can pursue unpaid super on behalf of employees.
The ATO's website is at www.ato.gov.au/super.
Workplace safety is managed by a government department in each state and territory. You can find the contact details and website for your state body by going to the Safe Work Australia website and choosing your location.