This week the Australian Federal Government launched Fair Work for Small Business ^[1], a free resources website that helps small businesses understand the new Fair Work Act and how it affects their rights when it comes to employing staff.

The $2.2 million initiative is funded by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations and will be delivered by the Council of Small Business of Australia ^[2] (COSBOA), together with Workforce Guardian ^[3] and Telstra Business ^[4].

The Fair Work Act came into effect on 1 July, 2009 and affected a large majority of Australia’s workforce. The new site aims to simplify the changes and bring small business employers up to speed as quickly as possible. It features video guides, downloadable summary papers and regular live interactive web sessions and electronic newsletters.