Job Transitions: What you need to know
Changing jobs, whether or not by choice, can be a stressful process. If you choose to resign you need to make sure you give the right amount of notice to your employer and check everything carefully to make sure you’ve been paid out your correct pay and entitlements.
And, of course, if the end of your employment isn’t your choice, either because you’re dismissed or made redundant, there are often a lot more anxiety-inducing details to be across.
But don’t worry. We’ve put together a bunch of info about all of these possibilities to help you navigate leaving your job, things to look out for when you’re job hunting, what questions to ask in your interview to ensure you’re fully informed, and some tips for your first day!
Check out our latest YouTube video below to get all the info, or read our blog and download our Job Transition Guide here.
UWU Members win penalty rate protection
Late last week the Australian Parliament passed The Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Penalty and Overtime Rates) Act 2025, ensuring the penalty and overtime rates of 2.6 million Australians who work public holidays, weekends, late nights and early mornings are protected by law.
United Workers Union (UWU) and fellow unions have long campaigned to protect penalty and overtime rates as fundamental entitlements within the modern awards safety net by ensuring these rates cannot be reduced or substituted in a way where workers lose out on their take-home pay.
This legislation delivers on the Albanese Labor Government’s election commitment and is just one of the ways the Government is supporting Australians with the cost-of-living.
UWU member Raj Karki (pictured), who works under the Security Award and attended the rally where Labor committed to protecting penalty rates was excited to see the commitment become a reality.
“We’ve been campaigning for this for a long time, so it’s great to see it happen. This change is really important for workers and members like us,” Raj said.
We know employees who rely on modern awards, are more likely to be women (59.8%), work part time (66.7%), be under the age of 35 (57.3%), and/or employed on a casual basis (48.3%).
Recent research by UWU shows women United Workers Union members juggling huge out-of-hours care burdens, while a third of the women surveyed deal with the fallout from earning half the median female wage or less. 37 per cent of survey participants reported earning less than $41,700 annually.
Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Amanda Rishworth said every modern award-reliant worker deserves protection of their penalty and overtime rates as part of a fair and relevant minimum safety net.
“If you work during hours when most Australians are spending time with family, you deserve fair compensation for the sacrifice you make to keep the country running,” Minister Rishworth said.
“Penalty and overtime rates are not a bonus or a luxury. They are a core entitlement to help those important workers in our society who work weekends and overtime hours.”
“For many Australians, penalty and overtime rates mean the difference between getting by and falling behind. This legislation guarantees their earnings are no longer at risk,” Minister Rishworth said.
Educators Prioritise Child Safety
Parents, community members and educators have been alarmed by shocking allegations in the early childhood education sector recently.
In response the government is rolling out a range of reforms across the sector to address child safety issues.
UWU educators welcome a national review of under-the-roof ratios, led by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA). This is something UWU members have been speaking up about for years – this staffing loophole is exploiting educators, compromising children’s safety, and making it impossible to give children the quality care and education they deserve.
In early childhood services, educator-to-child ratios are calculated based on the number and ages of children in care, with different ratios applying to different age groups. However, the current rules include all educators on-site in the ratio count.
That means educators on breaks or handling admin tasks are included in the ratio, even though they’re not in direct contact with children. According to the ECEC regulator ACECQA, only educators directly working with children should be counted, but the “under the roof” (mixed-aged ratio) approach lets this loophole slip through.
UWU members are calling for this gap to be closed so that ratios truly reflect the number of educators actively supervising the children, ensuring proper care and safety.
Ministers also announced other changes aimed at improving child safety and early childhood education. These include:
- A CCTV trial to begin in October
- A mobile phone ban from September
- A mandatory National Educator Register
- Mandatory child safety training for all ECEC workers
Together, union members have won some big changes in early childhood education and care. We’ve fought for fairer wages, and helped bring national attention to the issues impacting children’s safety. But we’re not done fighting for a better sector, for both educators and children.
Big changes for ECEC: are under-the-roof ratios next?
The government is rolling out a range of reforms across Early Childhood Education and Care, following reports earlier this year of child safety issues.
The biggest news for educators is a national review of under-the-roof ratios, led by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA). This is something UWU members have been speaking up about for years – this staffing loophole is exploiting educators, compromising children’s safety, and making it impossible to give children the quality care and education they deserve.
Now’s our opportunity to show ACECQA the evidence that these ratio loopholes do not work. You can help by sending a message to the national authority about how under-the-roof ratios are impacting you.
Ministers also announced other changes aimed at improving child safety and early childhood education. These include:
- A CCTV trial to begin in October
- A mobile phone ban from September
- A mandatory National Educator Register
- Mandatory child safety training for all ECEC workers
We’ll share more about these changes as information becomes available.
While members welcome action to improve child safety, technologies such as CCTV are no substitute for the active supervision of children by qualified educators. Better staffing and better support for our educators is essential.
Together, Union members have won some big changes in early childhood education and care. We’ve fought for fairer wages, and helped bring national attention to the issues impacting children’s safety. But we’re not done fighting for a better sector, for both educators and children.
Now is the time to keep momentum going and make real change to end understaffing and under the roof ratios.
- Send a digital postcard to ACECQA, calling for an end to under-the-roof ratios
- Check out our new website EarlyEd Quality Check, shining a light on the things your centre is doing well, and what needs work.
- Encouraging your friends and co-workers to join the United Workers Union and support us in raising the standard across the sector.
MSS Guards deserve respect
MSS guards in Victoria are fed up with experiencing disrespect from their employer and a disregard for the importance of their work and the danger they face.
Not only are they confronted with bullying and harassment from their employer, but their pay does not come close to reflecting their crucial work keeping people safe.
A big problem is that major clients like the Department of Defence, Public Hospitals, Public Housing and Universities are letting dodgy security companies like MSS Security disrespect guards.
In December last year, Defence Department bureaucrats and MSS Security did a shameful deal that resulted in a pay cut for defence guards.
MSS Security took on the defence security contract initially saying the pay cut would only be 1.5%. In the end they cut the levels of many guards resulting in a pay cut equivalent of up to 4.5%. MSS is a company that fails to invest in it’s frontline workforce. Guards at Australian defence bases pay the price for a multinational company to make profits, it’s shameful.
Meanwhile:
- Public Hospitals are using MSS Security to avoid paying guards at the rates that would apply if they worked for the hospital.
- Homes Victoria is refusing to properly engage guards on ensuring safe conditions at violent public housing sites.
- Australia’s premier universities have out sourced the safety of students and staff to the incompetent management of MSS Security putting guards, students and staff in danger.
When guards are disrespected the people they protect are disrespected!
Show your support! Add your name to the open letters to decision-makers below.
Sign our open letter to the Victoria Minister for Health, Hon. Mary-Anne Thomas here
Sign our open letter to the Victoria Minister for Housing, Hon. Harriet Shing here
Sign our open letter to University of Melbourne Vic Chancellor, Professor Emma Johnston here.
Historic moment for NSW school cleaners
Kath Hadden, former New South Wales school cleaner and member councillor talks about how she felt about school cleaners winning direct employment in after years of campaigning.
“It was like to sun came out,” she said.
The NSW Government has announced the first 600 cleaners in the Hunter and Central Coast will return to public jobs, with better conditions and job security. Now they’re winning the time to do the job properly. Winning respect. Winning job security.
And this is just the beginning. Since this announcement we’ve seen hundreds of school cleaners join their union!
Now we need to keep the pressure on to ensure the remaining contract areas are brought in sooner rather than later. If you’re a school cleaner in NSW keep an eye out for further information over the coming months.
For decades, Kath and thousands of other cleaners fought back against the disrespect and destruction caused by privatisation. Kath may be retired now, but she knows this win means future generations will be treated better than she was.
This didn’t happen by chance. It happened because workers joined United Workers Union and fought together.
Meanwhile, school cleaners in Victoria continue their fight for direct employment and for the fairness Kath describes.
We Won't Brie Quiet!
In mid-August, members at Fonterra Bayswater took industrial action with one-hour strike action across both shifts, shutting down production for two hours. Fonterra produce popular cheese products like Bega and Perfect Italiano, and Western Star butter. Union members have made it clear to Fonterra – and Lactalis, the largest Dairy company in the world who have recently taken first steps to purchase the company – that workers need real improvements in the wages and conditions in this round of bargaining, including job security.
Members also endorsed an indefinite ban on overtime and took further strike action of 2-hours on Thursday and Friday last week.
The Dairy Industry is built on the backs of hardworking members and farmers, and UWU is ready to fight for a sustainable industry that respects the people that provide the milk and make the products that are loved across Australia and around the world.
Members voting NO to unfair deal
Members at Crown Sydney are in the midst of bargaining with the company. After months of negotiating in good faith, union members have been left with no choice but to take escalating protected industrial action. Despite repeated efforts to secure a fair and reasonable workplace agreement, Crown Sydney has failed to meet key union claims or recognise the real value of its workforce.
- Real pay increases every year to keep up with the cost of living.
- Fair career progression that recognises skills and experience.
- Improved compensation for overtime and higher duties performed.
Crown however, have put their proposal out to a vote before agreement could be reached between the company and UWU. Workers are committed to voting no and holding out for a fair deal that doesn’t keep us behind our Melbourne counterparts for the same job, at the same company.
QLD Public Sector Members unite for a fair deal
Thousands of Public Sector members in Queensland are about to kick off their bargaining campaign after their agreement expired yesterday. UWU members who work as teacher aides, school cleaners and health workers will be fighting for fairness and respect for their essential work.
Meanwhile, ambulance members have been bargaining with the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) for the past three months to improve pay and conditions. Their key goal is ensuring workers get to finish their work on time and aren’t responding to emergencies when they’re already exhausted.
Despite offering several solutions, including a need for more paramedics to fill shifts, members are no closer to an agreement with their employer. Their agreement also expired yesterday.
Delegates are planning a state-wide meeting, likely to be held later this week, to discuss the steps towards embarking on protected industrial action.
“Paramedics are being pushed beyond breaking point. We’re regularly working beyond our rostered hours, staying on shift to help Queenslanders when we’ve already worked 10-12 hours,” said one Queensland Ambulance worker.
‘It’s time that adds up. We’re missing out on much-needed rest, time with our own families, and time to look after our own health.
“It’s affecting patients too – when you call Triple Zero, do you want the paramedic looking after you to be on their 13th hour of work?
“The fix is simple — more staff, safer hours, better support.”
Show your support by signing the open letter and stay up-to-date on QLD ambos’ EBA campaign news here.
Members tell the Treasurer to pay up!
In late July hundreds of UWU members STOPPED WORK and rallied outside the South Australian Treasurer’s office to demand action on the pay gap!
Workers from the Royal Adelaide Hospital, Lyell McEwin Hospital, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Glenside Health Services, and the Women’s and Children’s Hospital all walked off the job to make some noise!
Treasurer Stephen Mullighan is a key decision-maker in the government who will be considering a new offer to members later this month.
“The Treasurer has no excuse – South Australians deserve better. Our members are paid at least 20 percent lower than workers in other states doing exactly the same job. That’s unacceptable, unsustainable, and it’s driving a crisis in our hospitals and disability services.
“If Stephen Mullighan and the Premier are serious about ending ramping and long hospital waitlists, they need to pay these workers properly.”
– United Workers Union SA State Secretary and National Public Sector Director, Demi Pnevmatikos
If you haven’t signed the members’ petition yet, add your name now!
Ensign folds to members' demands
After lengthy negotiations, members at Ensign & Linen Services Australia in Dudley Park, SA have come to an agreement with their employer.
Don’t you wish you could get an extra day of leave so you never have to work on your birthday again? How about a 10.5% pay rise on top of that too?
That’s exactly what laundry workers at Ensign just won in their new union agreement.
They stood together and refused to accept the usual second-rate deal. For years, they’d been offered less than what their colleagues in other states were getting. This time they weren’t having it—and now they’ve secured a deal that finally brings them in line.
They didn’t stop at wage increases and back pay. They fought for and won a second paid tea break, paid wash-up time before every break, and new paid paternity leave. For the first time, workers who support their teams as mental health first aiders will now be recognised with proper allowances. Even key roles in the laundry were reclassified to higher pay levels, with 18 brand new positions created and paid more for their flexibility.
None of this was handed over. It only happened because union members stood their ground, supported each other, and kept fighting until they got what they deserved.
If you’re sick of feeling like you have no say at work, know this: these workers changed their future because they were union. You can too.