Small Businesses Who Need Employment Advice can Access the Employee Advisory Service

Small Businesses

Running a small business can be challenging and adding staff can add another layer of complexity. 

From bringing in work, to leading your team and staying compliant with Australian workplace laws; you have a lot to think about and often with limited time and resources.  It can be a lot to juggle.

For many small business owners navigating workplace laws can feel overwhelming, particularly when you are in a highly regulated industry already such as Aged Care or NDIS. But it’s important to understand your obligations because getting it wrong can be costly. Employers may face compensation claims from aggrieved employees, civil penalties, underpayment claims, and in serious cases, even criminal prosecution for intentional underpayments. 

It’s important to note that that the Fair Work Ombudsman has identified a number of high risk industries that it will be focusing on in 2026. You can read about that in our article here. 

To help small businesses stay on track, the Fair Work Ombudsman provides the following resources. For example:

Free Help for Small Businesses: The Employee Advisory Service (EAS)

Additionally, small businesses (those with under 15 employees) can now obtain free support from the Fair Work Ombudsman’s Employee Advisory Service (EAS). The EAS provides a range of support including free tailored written advice about pay and conditions. The service helps small business employers meet their obligations under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth).

According to the EAS website you should consider using the EAS if you: 

  • aren’t sure about the pay and conditions your employees are entitled to, or want to confirm that what you’re paying them is correct
  • are planning to hire your first employee or to recruit people to do new types of jobs
  • are confused or need more information about leave arrangements, meal breaks, allowances or other entitlements
  • have any other question about:
    • pay and conditions under awards and enterprise agreements,
    • the National Employment Standards, or
    • your record keeping and payslip obligations.

You can find more information and apply for support via the Employee Advisory Service here. 

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IMPORTANT NOTICE – The information contained in this article is not intended to be comprehensive. It is general in nature and is not intended to be used as a substitute for legal or other professional advice. You must seek specific professional advice tailored to your personal circumstances before taking any action based on this article.

Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.

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