The Fair Work Commission has established a Paid Agents Working Group. The new working group will be led by President Hatcher and made up of senior Commission Members and senior members of staff.
Background to the establishment of the group
People involved in matters before the Commission can be represented by a lawyer or paid agent, subject to permission requirements in the Fair Work Act 2009 being met. Lawyers are required to be admitted to the legal profession and are subject to regulation of their qualifications, conduct, ethics and financial dealings. There are no qualification requirements for paid agents, nor are they subject to any professional scheme that regulates their conduct.
At times, concerns are raised about the conduct of paid agents involved in matters before the Commission. These concerns usually arise in individual dispute matters, where parties may be vulnerable or at a particularly difficult point in their lives due to job loss or other factors. They may have limited ability or resources to address the concerns themselves.
