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Amanda Curatore

Position

Associate

Amanda Curatore is a qualified Solicitor and Associate at FCB Group. Based in our Melbourne office, Amanda is highly experienced in providing workplace relations advice and assistance to clients in a wide range of matters.

Amanda’s areas of expertise are:

Employment contracts
Modern Award interpretation
Performance management
Bullying & harassment
Terminations
Unfair Dismissals
Redundancies
Risk Management

Amanda is a dedicated professional and frequently supports both FCB Group and HR Assured with various marketing initiatives including hosting webinars, writing blog articles and preparing content for various events and publications.

Qualifications: BA LLB, Grad. Dip Leg Prac

Preparing for casual conversion to part-time employment

September 24, 2021

By Monday 27 September 2021, employers with more than 15 employees must assess whether any casuals employed before 27 March 2021 are eligible for casual conversion to permanent part-time or full-time employment. Read this article for more information about the casual conversion process, including where offers of conversion must be made. Where an offer of part-time employment is made, it is essential employers are across any obligations contained in applicable awards or enterprise agreements that arise for newly converted part-time employees. The regular pattern of work requirement Unlike casual employment, which allows for the employer to flexibly alter the hours and days of work offered (if any work at all), many awards and enterprise agreements require part-time employment to be subject to written agreement on a regular pattern of work between the employee and employer. Under the General Retail Industry Award 2020 for example, the employer must enter into a written agreement with a part-time employee at the time of engagement which must cover: The guaranteed hours to be worked on particular days of the week; The start and finish times for those days; and When meal......

Ceri Hohner

Temporary closure of Melbourne’s construction industry

September 22, 2021

Following a recent spate of outbreaks in or resulting from the construction sector, on Monday night, the Victorian Government announced that all construction activity in Melbourne and certain Local Government Areas would be shut down for a two-week period. With more than 400 of Victoria’s COVID-19 cases linked to construction workers, the Victorian Government has followed up its initial plans of mandatory vaccination requirements with an abrupt fortnight closure of construction projects in metropolitan Melbourne, City of Ballarat, City of Greater Geelong, Surf Coast Shire and Mitchell Shire. There are exemptions on safety grounds, such as attending sites to ensure they’re shut down safely, but otherwise, the industry has come to a noisy, grinding halt, with violent protests needing to be dispersed by the Victorian Police. The construction industry, identified as a highly mobile and generally young workforce, have been identified as a particular risk for transmission of the COVID-19 virus as a result of factors such as work performed at multiple sites, travelling long distances for work, and congregating in confined spaces such as tearooms/lunchrooms......

Dani Salinger

No Jab, No Pay for Victorian Construction Workers

September 17, 2021

In response to the rising COVID-19 transmission rates linked to the construction industry in Victoria, all construction workers will be required to receive at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by Thursday 23 September 2021, unless a medical exemption applies. From Friday 24 September 2021, employers will be required to sight evidence from all workers that they have received their first dose of the vaccine, and prohibit entry to work sites to any individuals who do not comply with the mandatory vaccination requirements. Additionally, construction workers are no longer permitted to travel between regional and metropolitan Melbourne for work. This is to prevent the virus from ‘hitching a ride’ when workers are travelling between communities and sites. The economic impact that these new restrictions will have on supply and demand for building assistance is yet to be measured, but it will undoubtedly have significant implications for both the construction industry and its clients. For any queries on how to best manage these new restrictions, contact Dani Salinger from FCB's Infrastructure and Construction team......

Dani Salinger

Victoria’s construction industry face COVID-19 compliance blitz

September 15, 2021

In response to a record number of COVID-19 transmissions, the Victorian Government has announced a four-week compliance blitz within the construction industry in the hope of slowing down the spread of the latest outbreak in which a man in his 20s recently lost his life to the virus. The blitz is targeting small-to-medium sized businesses to support their often mobile and young workforce to understand their obligations under the Chief Health Officer’s directions. According to Government reports, the Industry Enforcement Engagement operation, Work Safe, and the Victoria Building Authority will be taking a “zero-tolerance” approach to breaches of health orders. Lunch or tea rooms have been cited as being problem areas, as often this is where union meetings are held, workers congregate to consume food and drink, and shift changeovers occur between colleagues. In pre-COVID-19 times, this was standard practice, and people interacted freely. Now, rigorous and protective procedures and policies are required to be in place. Additionally, all construction workers must check-in when entering a site using the Victorian Government QR Code Service, and always......

It’s R U OK? Day – tips for employers to support mental health

September 9, 2021

Today is R U OK? Day, recognised nationally as part of the R U OK? initiative. In the midst of a global pandemic, where we are experiencing lockdowns, working from home and extremely challenging times, it’s more important than ever to value our mental health and the health of those around us. R U OK? Day focuses on keeping everyone connected and starting a conversation around mental health by simply asking: “Are you okay?” – a question which fuels a conversation that could potentially change someone’s life. In this article we discuss how employers can support mental health during a pandemic. What are some warning signs to look out for in your employees? Workers often spend much of their lives at work, and employers may be in one of the best positions to recognise the early warning signs of poor mental health. Such signs vary between person to person, but may include: Increased absenteeism or tardiness. Looking tired and seeming stressed. Having trouble concentrating, making decisions and managing multiple tasks. Being unusually emotional and getting frustrated with people. Avoiding social activities. Outbursts and mood swings. Sitting alone at lunchtime. Unable......

Ceri Hohner

Extension of time for vaccination requirements for affected Sydney LGAs

September 6, 2021

Employers in Greater Sydney have been given more time to comply with the Government’s mandatory vaccination requirements for employees living or residing in the 12 local government areas of concern who leave their LGAs for work. As of today, Monday September 6, the mandatory vaccination deadline for authorised workers from the 12 Sydney LGAs of concern has been pushed back in a two-stage process. From Monday, 20 September 2021, authorised workers must not leave their LGA for work unless they have: Had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine; or Evidence of a medical exemption (obtained from a medical practitioner in the form approved by the NSW Chief Health Officer) Whilst this deadline has been extended by a fortnight (as it was originally intended to commence today, 6 September 2021), it comes with an additional requirement: that from Thursday, 9 September 2021, authorised workers must not leave their LGA for work unless they meet one of the above requirements OR they have booked their vaccination appointment for a date on or prior to 19 September 2021. If the latter, the worker must have evidence of the appointment and present such proof if requested by their employer......

Dani Salinger

What is industrial manslaughter? Here’s what you need to know

August 31, 2021

By Dani Salinger & Simon Saha Industrial manslaughter is primarily associated with the construction industry as the risk to the physical safety of employees is often higher. Simply put, blue-collar employees face greater risks to their physical safety compared to white-collar employees – the risk to life is larger given the nature of work carried out and our laws are still catching up. Australia’s industrial manslaughter laws are intricate and differ in each state and territory; changing social expectations influence their enforcement, and their inconsistency may, in part, sometimes be attributable to the particular political flavour of the day. In opposition, the construction industry in Australia is far from inconsistent. According to the Australian Industry and Skills Committee (AISC) this industry generates over $360 billion in revenue annually and produces around nine per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). With a projected growth rate of 2.4 per cent over the next five years, it isn’t surprising that employment rates in this industry are only growing. In this article, we answer critical questions about Australian......

Preparing your business for casual conversion: transitional period to end

August 23, 2021

In March 2021, the Fair Work Amendment (Supporting Australia’s Jobs and Economic Recovery) Bill 2021 (Bill) passed Parliament. The Bill introduced several changes to casual employment, including providing a statutory mechanism for casual conversion. Before these changes, there was no universal entitlement to casual conversion, rather, employees covered by a modern award were able to request casual conversion if they met the eligibility criteria outlined in the award. Now, the Fair Work Act 2009 (FW Act) requires employers to proactively offer casual conversion to eligible employees. This applies to all employees in the business, not just those covered by a modern award. There is a transitional period that ends on 27 September 2021 to allow employers time to make assessments as to whether they need to offer casual conversion. Businesses must therefore determine who is eligible and make offers of conversion before this date. In this article, we answer some common questions and share some tips to help businesses prepare for casual conversion. 1. Which businesses need to make an offer? The changes apply to national system employers, which are those that fall under the......

Brittany Byrne

Understanding psychological safety in the workplace

August 19, 2021

By Brittany Byrne & Adrian Turner Before the pandemic, working from home (WFH) was a workplace perk that was hard to come by – this type of workplace flexibility was irresistible to many. WFH has significant benefits to employees and employers. However, as WFH is rapidly becoming the new norm amid an unrelenting pandemic, it is exposing more and more the psychological risks to employees. While many thought we would say goodbye to lockdowns as we farewelled 2020, the last two months have proven otherwise. The current COVID-19 crisis in New South Wales and the seemingly endless occurrence of lockdowns in the rest of Australia’s states and territories have forced employees to exclusively work from home for periods beyond those ever anticipated. The increased isolation and uncertainty in the current climate are a timely reminder for employers to recognise and appropriately respond to the risk of psychological injury of their employees while they’re working from home. Psychological injury includes a range of symptoms that can affect how we feel, think, behave, and interact with others. Depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorders – these are just......

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Amanda Curatore

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Preparing for casual conversion to part-time employment

Temporary closure of Melbourne’s construction industry

No Jab, No Pay for Victorian Construction Workers

Victoria’s construction industry face COVID-19 compliance blitz

It’s R U OK? Day – tips for employers to support mental health

Extension of time for vaccination requirements for affected Sydney LGAs

What is industrial manslaughter? Here’s what you need to know

Preparing your business for casual conversion: transitional period to end

Understanding psychological safety in the workplace

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Related Case Studies & News

Preparing for casual conversion to part-time employment

Temporary closure of Melbourne’s construction industry

No Jab, No Pay for Victorian Construction Workers

Victoria’s construction industry face COVID-19 compliance blitz

It’s R U OK? Day – tips for employers to support mental health

Extension of time for vaccination requirements for affected Sydney LGAs

What is industrial manslaughter? Here’s what you need to know

Preparing your business for casual conversion: transitional period to end

Understanding psychological safety in the workplace