01
What it is
A 2026 guide to the rules under the Fair Work Act (Australia’s main workplace law), the National Employment Standards and Modern Awards.
2026 Master Edition
Lifecycle Compliance Blueprint
A plain guide to the Fair Work rules at each stage of employing someone, from hiring to the day they leave. It comes as three PDFs: a 54-page manual with 20 fill-in templates, an investigations workbook, and four desk cards. It is for small employers and managers who handle staff matters themselves.
AU$97
Instant download. One organisation.
Questions? Contact us through our contact form.
02
What’s inside
20 short modules, each with the rule, a right-way and wrong-way example, and a template. Plus a workbook and four desk cards.
03
Who it’s for
Small employers, directors and managers who hire, manage and let staff go without an HR department or a lawyer on hand.
04
What it helps you do
Know the rule before you act, follow a fair process, and put the right letter or checklist on the file.
The 20 modules
Four chapters follow a job from start to finish. Each module explains the rule in plain terms, shows a right way and a wrong way, then gives you a template to fill in and keep.
1 · Hiring
1.1 Employee, casual or contractor?
1.2 Job descriptions and inherent requirements
1.3 Lawful job ads and pay rates
1.4 Shortlisting, interviews and visa checks
1.5 Contracts, information statements and onboarding
2 · Day to day
2.1 Essential policies and preventing harassment
2.2 Rosters, breaks and the right to disconnect
2.3 Pay rates, classifications and records
2.4 Leave and flexible work requests
2.5 Casual conversion
3 · Performance
3.1 Probation and the minimum employment period
3.2 Informal coaching or formal discipline
3.3 30-day performance improvement plans
3.4 Investigations and support persons
3.5 Warnings and show-cause letters
4 · Ending
4.1 Dismissal with notice
4.2 Dismissal for serious misconduct
4.3 Genuine redundancy and consultation
4.4 Resignations, notice and abandonment
4.5 Final pay and offboarding
What’s inside
- The Blueprint (54-page PDF): 4 chapters and 20 modules, from hiring to exit. Each module gives the rule and the section of the Act, a right-way and wrong-way example, and a fill-in template.
- 20 templates, including a contractor check, a job-ad check, a visa work-rights log, a day-one onboarding checklist, a flexible-work response letter, a probation review, a 30-day improvement plan, a meeting invitation, a show-cause notice, termination letters, a redundancy consultation letter, a resignation acknowledgement and a final-pay check
- Investigations Workbook (6-page PDF): an evidence log, disciplinary meeting minutes, a 30-day improvement plan, a witness interview record, and a final-pay and offboarding check
- Fair Work Desk Cards (5-page PDF): four A4 cards for your desk. They cover how to run a fair disciplinary meeting (with a word-for-word script for support persons), roster and break rules for four common Awards (hospitality, retail, clerks and building), a contractor-or-employee check, and the rules on the right to disconnect and casual conversion
In plain words: the National Employment Standards are the minimum entitlements every employee gets, such as leave and notice. Modern Awards set minimum pay and conditions for each industry. Unfair dismissal is a claim that a dismissal was harsh, unjust or unreasonable. The minimum employment period is how long someone must work for you (6 months, or 12 if you have fewer than 15 staff) before they can make that claim. A show-cause letter asks an employee to explain in writing before you decide whether to dismiss them.
Who it is for
Small employers, directors and managers who deal with hiring, rosters, pay, performance and dismissals themselves. The examples come from cafés, shops, warehouses, trades and offices. It does not replace an employment lawyer when a dismissal or dispute is live, and it does not replace the Policy Pack. Our guide is general information, not legal advice, so check current Fair Work and ATO figures before you use a template.
What you’ll be able to do
- Check whether someone should be an employee, a casual or a contractor before you take them on
- Write job ads, interview questions and contracts that stay within the law
- Handle rosters, breaks, pay records, leave and casual conversion the right way
- Deal with a performance or conduct problem through a fair process: concerns in writing, a support person, time to respond, and no decision on the spot
- End employment properly, with the right notice, letter and final pay
- Keep notes and records made at the time, which count for more than notes written later
Want help putting it in place? See our Fair Work lifecycle support service.