Employment Law and Enforcement

Associate Professor Tess Hardy

Associate Professor Tess Hardy’s expertise in employment law and enforcement has informed a number of recent government consultations, including as part of the Attorney General’s Department industrial relations reform working group and the Senate Inquiry into Unlawful Underpayment of Employees’ Remuneration. Dr Hardy’s ARC-funded research on work in franchises, together with her ongoing research on enforcement of labour standards regulation, has provided new insights into tools and techniques designed to promote employer compliance in complex business networks. In addition, Tess’ research standing has led to her being invited to be part of a number of other inquiries, including the Royal Commission into Aged Care, the federal Productivity Commission, the Migrant Workers’ Taskforce, and the Victorian Inquiry into the Labour Hire Industry and Insecure Work. These inquiries have resulted in labour law reforms which have drawn upon her research, including the Fair Work (Protecting Vulnerable Workers) Amendment Act 2017 (Cth) and the Fair Work Amendment (Supporting Australia’s Jobs and Economic Recovery) Bill 2020 (Cth), which have sought to strengthen the enforcement provisions of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth).