When “Becoming a Contractor” Becomes the Law: ZG Operations v Jamsek
For 30 years, two truck drivers delivered lighting goods for the same company. When they were told to “become contractors” — buying their own trucks — they kept working as before. But decades later, the High Court ruled they were never employees. In ZG Operations v Jamsek (2022), the Court drew a sharp line: when a contract is genuine, not a sham, its words decide the relationship. The case reshaped what “independence” means in Australian work law.
When a Contract Calls You a “Contractor” but the Law Says Otherwise
When a young backpacker signed a “self-employed contractor” agreement to work on a Perth construction site, he thought he was free — until the High Court said otherwise. In CFMMEU v Personnel Contracting (2022), the Court ruled that the true test of employment lies in the contract’s substance, not the label. This case redefined how Australia distinguishes workers from contractors — reshaping fairness in the gig economy.
When Losing Access to Your Own Email Decides Your Future
A long-serving executive was told redeployment was possible, then lost access to the very systems he needed to find a new role. In CBA v Barker (2014), the High Court confirmed there is no implied duty of mutual trust and confidence in Australian employment contracts. The case reveals how fairness must be built into process, not left to assumption.