Fuel prices can change quickly and for growers reliant on road freight, those changes can flow through to transport costs. With Australia's temporary fuel excise relief now ended, we look at what this means for the Road Transport Contractual Chain Order (RTCCO), the wholesale diesel price threshold businesses need to understand, and why now is a good time to review your transport contracts and fuel adjustment mechanisms.

Paying above Award doesn't necessarily mean your Award obligations are covered. For growers, getting employee classifications right is particularly important, especially when managing seasonal workers, changing duties and piecework arrangements. We look at some of the common classification traps and what employers should be checking.

Most agricultural businesses have plans for compliance, production, and workforce needs.  But what about the capability of the people leading your people?  Deliberately developing leaders can be one of the most valuable investments you make.  While compliance protects your business, leadership capability grows it. 

Redundancies are increasing across many industries. Even in seasonal industries like horticulture, there are times when permanent positions are no longer required for a number of reasons. Before making any decisions, make sure your business understands its obligations and how to manage the process with confidence and care.

One statistic recently stopped us in our tracks. The median time away from work for a serious mental health workers' compensation claim is now 35.7 weeks. The surprising part? More than 73% of serious mental stress claims are linked to workplace issues leaders influence every day.

A Jetstar engineer with 23 years' experience thought stranding two apprentices six metres in the air on an elevated work platform was just a bit of "horseplay." The Fair Work Commission disagreed — and upheld his dismissal.

In this webinar, QFVG's Partner Who Cares, Focus HR provides a comprehensive breakdown of the significant industrial relations changes and the new minimum wage decision that came into effect on Wednesday, 1 July 2026.

The Fair Work Commission (FWC) has handed down its Annual Wage Review decision, confirming significant increases to both the National Minimum Wage and minimum award wages from 1 July 2026.

This is a topic that often comes up in leadership programs and is something that a lot of managers (particularly first-time managers who have been promoted internally) face.

When an employee experiences illness or injury, returning to work can be a significant transition for both the employee and the employer. Whether the illness or injury occurred at work or outside of work, a successful return to work process requires understanding, communication and cooperation from everyone involved.

Over the past 12 months, the industrial relations landscape hasn’t just shifted - it’s accelerated.

General Protections (GP) claims continue to rise at a pace that is outstripping other Fair Work Commission (FWC) applications, prompting procedural changes from both the Commission and the Federal Court.

Rising fuel prices are starting to show up in the workplace in a very real way. We’re increasingly hearing from growers that employees are raising concerns about the cost of simply getting to work.

For growers impacted by the recent weather events it is important to understand how to best manage your skilled workforce and not lose good employees.

In this 45-minute webinar, QFVG Partner Who Cares, Focus HR, unpacks the most pressing workplace issues facing horticulture businesses right now.

The Fair Work Ombudsman has commenced legal action against a Queensland-based labour hire provider and its manager for allegedly knowingly providing false and misleading records to a Fair Work Inspector.

For growers impacted by the recent weather events it is important to understand how to best manage your skilled workforce and not lose good employees.

The Fair Work Commission recently updated the rules about superannuation in 147 Awards to make sure that Awards reflect the current superannuation rules.

Are you using probation periods to their full potential? Probation is often treated as a checkbox, but when handled well it can become a powerful driver of performance, engagement and workplace culture.

Unpaid leave isn’t always straightforward. A new Fair Work Commission ruling highlights the importance of fairness, clarity and good documentation. This article breaks down the key lessons for employers.