Each year, the Young Workers Centre produces a number of publications based on research we conduct into the problems and issues facing young people at work. Our research is free to use, although we always love seeing it in action - remember to cite it correctly! June 2023 Franchise survey report September 2022 McKell Institute's report, 'Working, learning: Better supporting Victorian apprentices on the job' December 2020 Victorian Government Youth Strategy Submission October 2020 Supplementary Submission to the On-Demand Inquiry's Recommendations Submission to the On-Demand Inquiry's Recommendations July 2020 Young Workers Centre inc. Annual Report 2019 - 2020 Submission to the Skills for Victoria's Growing Economy Review October 2019 Submission to the discussion paper on Improving Protections of Employees' Wages and Entitlements: Strengthening Penalties for Non-Compliance July 2019 Young Workers Centre inc. Annual Report 2018 - 19 November 2018 Franchise workers OHS Snapshot October 2018 Young Workers Centre inc. Annual Report 2017 - 18 June 2018 Submission to the inquiry into the framework surrounding the prevention, investigation and prosecution of industrial deaths in Australia May 2018 Briefing: Criminalising Wage Theft February 2018 Submission by the Young Workers Centre to the Senate Select Committee on the Future of Work and Workers January 2018 Young Workers Snapshot: On-Demand Food Delivery Riders (in partnership with the Transport Workers Union) December 2017 Submission to the Parliamentary Inquiry into Career Advice Activity in Schools November 2017 Young Workers Centre inc. Annual Report 2016 - 17 (full) August 2017 Submission by the Young Workers Centre to the Parliamentary Inquiry into School to Work Transitions May 2017 Submission by the Young Workers Centre to the Victorian State Government Inquiry into Penalty Rates and Fair Pay Young Workers Snapshot: The Great Wage Rip-Off Young Workers Snapshot: The Great Wage Rip-Off Executive Summary Young Workers Survey Data Appendix January 2017...

$24.73 per hour is the minimum wage for retail workers (As of 1 July, 2023) You should be paid penalty rates for early morning, night, weekend and public holiday work If you have to wear a uniform, your boss should pay for it You’re entitled to a break every four hours – but it’s unpaid :( You also get these basic workplace rights, like all workers.

Too many young people have their wages stolen or are made to do unsafe work in Victoria. Chat to Workmate to find information about your rights at work.

$24.73 per hour is the minimum wage for fast food workers (As of 1 July, 2023) You should be paid penalty rates for early morning, night, weekend and public holiday work If you have to wear a uniform, your boss should pay for it You’re entitled to a break every four hours – but it’s unpaid :(

$24.08 per hour is the minimum wage for call centre workers (As of 1 July, 2023) You should be paid penalty rates for early morning, night, weekend and public holiday work If you have to wear a uniform, your boss should pay for it You’re entitled to a break every four hours – but it’s unpaid :( You also get these basic workplace rights, like all workers.

The National Employment Standards (usually referred to as the NES) are a set of 10 minimum employment conditions that have to be provided to all part time and full time employees. Your Award or Agreement can’t contain clauses that reduce these standards. Casual workers are only entitled to some of the conditions in the NES – this why we encourage workers to demand part time or full time work where possible, and why we fight to ensure young workers have job security.   Full time and part time employees Casual employees Maximum weekly hours Request for flexible working arrangements Paid parental leave Paid annual leave Paid personal and carers leave Paid community service leave Long service leave Public holiday leave, penalty rates, or time in lieu Notice of termination Receive a Fair Work Statement when you start working for a new employer Unpaid carers leave Unpaid compassionate leave Community service leave Receive a Fair Work Statement when you start working for a new employer If you have been employed as a casual for 12 months & it can be reasonably expected that your employment will continue, you are also entitled to: Request flexible working arrangements Parental leave  Click here for a printable version of this information  This is general information only and may not be relevant to your specific situation. Call the Young Workers Centre to get advice specific to your situation.  

Apprentices have the same rights as other workers – including the right to join your union You must attend all scheduled training sessions You cannot be left alone or work unsupervised as an apprentice An apprenticeship contract can only be varied or cancelled by agreement of

An internship is a short term placement for educational purposes An unpaid internship can only be undertaken if you are receiving course credit (towards a degree, diploma, certificate or other qualification) An intern should not be completing the same work as paid employees of the business or company. Interns are not free labour. We cannot stress that enough. If you are doing the same work as an employee (or the work a paid employee should be doing), your host business or organisation may be ripping you off.

$22.61 per hour is the minimum wage for hospitality workers (As of 1 July 2023) You should be paid penalty rates for weekend and public holiday work If you have to wear a uniform, your boss should pay for it You’re entitled to a break every five hours – but it’s unpaid :( You also get these basic workplace rights, like all workers. Not what you were expecting? Give us a call BEFORE you do anything hasty! We can give you advice specific to your situation.

The Young Workers Centre produces a range of materials in a variety of languages. If the language you're looking for isn't listed here, please contact us. You should also check out the resources offered by our friends at the Migrant Workers Centre! Posters Did you know? Apprentices must work supervised English   Did you know? Unpaid trials & training are illegal English Arabic     Arabic Cantonese     Cantonese Mandarin     Mandarin Taiwanese     Taiwanese Hindi     Hindi Vietnamese     Vietnamese

This is a really stressful time for so many young workers. COVID-19 is impacting everyone’s workplace and ability to earn a wage massively. We spoke on Triple J Hack, have produced videos and compiled these resources to answer commonly asked questions. Q. What responsibility does my employer have to keep me safe at work? Q. What rights do I have as a casual? Q: What are my rights if I lose my job? Q: Can my employer stand me down? Q. If we have to be quarantine or isolated, can my boss force me to take annual leave to cover it? Q: Can my boss reduce my hours? Q: What rights do I have as an apprentice? Q. What rights do I have as a gig economy worker? Q: My boss is trying to change my hours, and they’ve called a meeting for this afternoon, where they say we have to agree.  Can I stop it? Q: I’ve been fired.  My boss says it’s because of COVID-19 but I don’t think that’s true.  What can I do? Q: What are my rights in relation to the JobKeeper wage subsidy?Q: What do I do if my boss isn't following Covid-19 safety measures?  Q: Do I have to get a vaccine to attend my workplace?  In most circumstances you've got to speak to your employer.  It’s a lot easier to do that if you and workmates speak to your employer together and with the backing of a union. It’s never been a more important time to be a union member. COVID-19 is a new situation and our industrial and employment laws don’t deal with it, but having the support of a union sets you and your workmates up to navigate complex issues like this. Have more questions? The situation is ever-changing and you don’t...