Hindsight is a funny thing. Had we known the COVID-19 wrecking ball was coming for us, we would have ducked for cover. We can’t use that excuse anymore.

The Fair Work Commission has refused to award compensation to a hotel worker who would not agree to a temporary reduction in hours, despite finding that she was unlawfully stood down. The Commission maintained she failed to “share the burden of the pandemic.”

The Fair Work Commission has confirmed a company’s rejected request for an employee to return to full-time hours was consistent with the Small Business Fair Dismissal Code and did not warrant an unfair dismissal.

Grab your family, grab your friends, and grab your workmates - it’s time to celebrate and enjoy our state again! The Victorian Chamber was delighted by today’s State Government announcement that it will lift the majority of restrictions across the state which will give all our businesses the best chance to roar back.

As a result of the hard work and sacrifices of Victorians, more freedoms have been brought forward by Premier Daniel Andrews, as the state races to its 90 per cent vaccination target ahead of schedule.

The Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry celebrates today’s announcement by Premier Daniel Andrews that as of 11.59pm tonight, most restrictions will lift in Victoria as we move closer to hitting the 90 per cent vaccination milestone.

Over the last 20 months, Victorian Chamber members and the business community have been vocal in their desire to be part of the solution to managing the health and economic crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Victorian Chamber is delighted to extend an invitation to our members and clients to participate in a design workshop to help identify innovative and practical education approaches to improve equality in the workplace.

One cyber security incident is reported every eight minutes, according to the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), underscoring the urgency for businesses to protect themselves online.

We know business and workers need to do their bit to manage and slow the spread of COVID-19. Every business should: have a COVIDSafe plan; provide hand sanitiser; regularly clean high-touch surfaces; comply with rules regarding vaccination; ensure staff wear face masks where required; and use QR codes. In addition, some businesses must conduct COVID-19 surveillance tests and some are recommended to implement a testing scheme.

In partnership with the Victorian Government, the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry is establishing a new COVIDSafe Squad to help businesses to be COVIDSafe.

In Victoria's new COVID-Normal world, we’ll be living and operating differently, with businesses having to navigate a raft of health and safety requirements to ensure that once we are back open, we can stay open.

Enterprise bargaining can be an intimidating and tiring task. Make sure you invest time in planning and developing your bargaining strategy before you begin the process.

As Victoria emerges from COVID-19 and business confidence returns, there has never been a better time to take on an apprentice or trainee - a crucial pathway to kickstart our economy post-pandemic and secure talent for Victoria’s future workforce.

The Victorian Chamber and Business NSW have united to welcome the joint announcement that Australia’s two most populous states will allow free travel between them, with borders opening from midnight 5 November.

How good was it seeing our state roar back to life over the weekend? It was so exciting to see crowds at events and smiles on the faces of so many as they celebrated Victoria’s reopening over the past few days.