ACT Fines for Failing to Pay Long Service Leave and New Reporting Rules for Sexual Assault at Work

Workplace Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 (No 3)

12 Nov 2025: Passed by Parliament and signed off by the governor.

This bill kicks in: TBA

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Topics

criminal penalties employee entitlements employer obligations employment rights hazardous substances law enforcement long service leave professional licensing sexual assault work health and safety workplace health and safety workplace incidents +7 more

Introduced by: The Hon Michael Pettersson MLA (ALP) — Minister, Minister for Business, Arts and Creative Industries, Minister for Children, Youth and Families, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Skills, Training and Industrial Relations

Links to official parliament websites

Official page: progress through parliament

Effects of this bill

If this bill passes, it means that:

Employers commit a strict liability offence if they fail to pay long service leave within 90 days of employment ending; fines reach 50 penalty units (2026: $8,000).
Long service leave officers can enter workplaces, public areas, or premises where the owner agrees, but they cannot enter private residential areas.
Long service leave officers can order people to provide documents and information, and can take photos or recordings of evidence.
People must answer questions or provide documents to long service leave officers even if the information incriminates them; this information cannot be used against them in court, unless they provide false or misleading information.
Sexual assault incidents are now listed as 'notifiable incidents' under work health and safety laws if they happen during business activities.
Workplace managers face tier D fines if they fail to preserve the site and evidence of a notifiable incident.
People with a duty to report incidents face tier D fines if they fail to notify the relevant authority immediately.
The Work Health and Safety Commissioner is now an inspector under the Dangerous Substances Act 2004.
People with a legal duty to report a notifiable incident can be fined if they do not immediately tell the person who manages or controls the workplace.

The Debate

What different members said when this bill was debated:

Ed Cocks LIB

“The Workplace Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 (No 3) makes a range of changes across our workplace laws, from workers compensation to long service leave to work health and safety. On balance, the Canberra Liberals will not oppose it. There are parts of this legislation that are entirely sensible. There is the early payment scheme for families who lose a loved one to a workplace death.”

Official source →

Andrew Braddock GRN

“The Greens will support the intent of the Workplace Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 (No 3) and the improvement it makes to our industrial relations laws. I commend the scrutiny committee for their diligent work and the minister for the briefing provided on this omnibus bill. We must always remember that workplace laws are, in many respects, written in blood.”

Official source →

Caitlin Tough ALP

“I, too, rise to speak in support of the Workplace Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 (No 3). This bill includes several significant reforms to theterritory’s workplacelegislationtoensurethat Canberrans canremainsafeat their workplaces, receive their entitlements, and are supported if they are injured at work.”

Official source →

Michael Pettersson ALP

“I present the following paper: Workplace Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 (No 3)—Revised explanatory PROOF P3528 28 October 2026 Legislative Assembly for the ACT statement. I rise to speak to the Workplace Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 (No 3).”

Official source →