• The Fair Work Court Returns

    • July 24, 2026
    • Posted by: Justin Prince
    • Categories: Employment Law Support, Human Resources and Industrial Relations, Industrial Relations, Workplace Investigations
    No Comments
    Sepia-toned illustration. A bearded man in glasses and an "I.R. Geek" shirt sits at a table holding a newspaper headlined "Government announces new solution to workplace disputes: Another Court." He holds a mug reading "Another court. Same delay." A second mug on the table reads "Sunday coffee. Reads. Sarcasm." Books beneath it are titled "Industrial Relations Law," "Case Law... Yawn" and "Fed Circuit Court Listings, Volume 742 of ???" Behind him, a queue of people in suits waits outside a courthouse under a banner reading "The Fair Work Court Returns." Sandwich boards read "Now with more lists!" and "Expected wait time: 9 months+ (or longer)."
    read more

  • The Great AI Sobering

    • July 12, 2026
    • Posted by: Justin Prince
    • Category: Human Resources and Industrial Relations
    No Comments
    A hand-drawn sepia-toned illustration of a smiling middle-aged man in glasses, an open hoodie and plaid pyjama bottoms, relaxing on a sofa on a Sunday morning with a coffee and a laptop. His t-shirt reads "May the F = ma be with you." A cafetiere and mugs labelled "Sunday Mode" and "More Coffee Please" sit nearby, with a book titled "Reasonable Robots: How Things Actually Work" on the table. Around his head float notification badges, pop-ups and speech bubbles shouting "AI!", "NEW!", "URGENT!" and "Don't miss out!", all of which he calmly ignores while working at his screen.
    read more

  • 2025 at the Fair Work Commission: More Claims, Less Patience

    • January 5, 2026
    • Posted by: Justin Prince
    • Category: Human Resources and Industrial Relations
    No Comments
    The IR Geek on Fair Work Commission decisions and employer obligations
    read more

  • McLeish v GNM: When “No Expectation” Isn’t a Force Field

    • December 1, 2025
    • Posted by: Justin Prince
    • Category: Human Resources and Industrial Relations
    No Comments
    Cartoon illustration of a wild-haired, bespectacled “IR Geek” character in a suit, sitting at a cluttered desk piled with rosters, HR paperwork, and a faded “NO EXPECTATION” contract. The character looks alert and frazzled, typing on a laptop labeled “THE IR GEEK.” Behind them, a wall poster reads “CASUALS, ROSTERS AND UNFAIR DISMISSAL,” with a background calendar and roster grid. The image uses a warm, sepia-toned palette.
    read more

  • General Protections Dismissal Claims: The FWC’s November 2025 Reforms

    • November 13, 2025
    • Posted by: Justin Prince
    • Category: Human Resources and Industrial Relations
    No Comments
    A flat-style teal banner showing the Fair Work Commission building, a law book, scales of justice, a conference table, and a document with pen, with the text “IR Geek by LevelUp – General Protections Dismissal Claims: FWC’s November 2025 Reforms for Employers & Paid Agents.”
    read more

  • From Pilot to Performance: Adopting AI as one of the team

    • November 8, 2025
    • Posted by: Justin Prince
    • Categories: Applied Technology, Human Resources and Industrial Relations
    No Comments
    A Mandalorian warrior in full armor stands against a softly lit background, with the caption “THIS IS THE WAY – TO ADOPT AI” overlayed in bold white text.
    read more

  • The IR Geek on Annualised Salaries After Woolworths & Coles: Not Dead—Just Finally Honest

    • November 7, 2025
    • Posted by: Justin Prince
    • Category: Human Resources and Industrial Relations
    No Comments
    Fair Work Commission Full Bench decisions—IR Geek at desk with stacks of paperwork
    read more

  • WFH Hype vs. Hard Law: What the Westpac Case Actually Says

    • November 7, 2025
    • Posted by: Justin Prince
    • Category: Human Resources and Industrial Relations
    No Comments
    Manager declines an employee’s work-from-home request while the IR Geek observes in an Industrial Relations office.
    read more

  • Flexible Work Requests After Westpac and Intersystems: What s 65A Actually Requires

    • November 7, 2025
    • Posted by: Justin Prince
    • Category: Human Resources and Industrial Relations
    No Comments
    Cartoon “IR Geek” sits cross-legged on a gold balance scale between “Employer Obligations” and “Employee Rights.”
    read more

  • September 2025 FWC Wrap: Process With Teeth, Platforms With Rules

    • November 7, 2025
    • Posted by: Justin Prince
    • Category: Human Resources and Industrial Relations
    No Comments
    Illustration of Fair Work Commission decision updates and workplace compliance issues for employers.
    read more

  • The IR Geek – Payroll Compliance and how to avoid a “CBA” outcome

    • April 28, 2024
    • Posted by: Justin Prince
    • Category: Human Resources and Industrial Relations
    No Comments
    Illustrated image of an animated HR manager with glasses reading a payroll compliance book at a desk cluttered with labor law documents, a calculator, and personal touches in a warmly lit office at night
    read more

  • The IR Geek in 2024 – Employment Terminations

    • April 28, 2024
    • Posted by: Justin Prince
    • Category: Human Resources and Industrial Relations
    No Comments
    Image of a 3D-animated professional studying a book titled 'Industrial Relations', surrounded by stacks of books, labor law charts, and data graphs in an office setting, illustrating a deep commitment to understanding labor dynamics
    read more

  • The IR Geek: Closing the Loopholes and Other Changes – Summary, Implications, and Actions for Employers

    • April 28, 2024
    • Posted by: Justin Prince
    • Category: Human Resources and Industrial Relations
    No Comments
    A humorous depiction of a stressed-out Industrial Relations worker surrounded by overwhelming stacks of paperwork, reflecting the struggle to keep up with constant changes in regulations and laws
    read more