Chapter 2 part 3 sets the core employment standards. Section 22 mandates the Queensland minimum wage. Section 23 caps maximum weekly hours at 38 plus reasonable additional hours, with sections 24, 25 and 26 governing averaging and reasonableness. Section 27 lets employees request flexible working arrangements, with section 28 setting the employer's response obligations and section 29 deeming refusal where the employer does not respond. Sections 30 to 38 set annual leave entitlements (paid annual leave, leave loading, cashing out conditions, payment on termination). Sections 39 to 76 cover personal leave (sick, carer's, compassionate). Sections 77 to 83 cover domestic and family violence leave, including support obligations and protection from discrimination. Sections 84 to 92 cover parental leave (pre-natal, primary, secondary, adoption, return-to-work guarantee). Sections 93 to 110 cover long service leave (entitlement at completed service threshold, proportionate payment under section 95(3) where service is at least seven years, calculation under section 103 by reference to total hours worked since the start of the period). Sections 111 to 119 cover public holidays. Sections 120 to 124 cover emergency service leave. Sections 125 to 127 cover jury service leave. Sections 128 to 130 cover notice of termination and redundancy. Section 130A to 130C cover superannuation. Sections 131 to 134 cover information statements and continuity of service.
Chapter 3 sets the modern award framework: section 142 requires minimum wages, sections 143 to 161 set the content (terms, types, dispute settlement, machinery), and sections 162 to 173 cover making, varying and revoking modern awards. Coverage and operation are set in sections 174 to 181. Reviews under sections 182 to 187 happen at four-yearly intervals.
Chapter 4 covers collective bargaining: notice of intention, representational rights, good faith bargaining, scope orders, certifying agreements, the protected industrial action machinery and conciliation and arbitration by the commission. Chapter 5 sets the equal remuneration regime: instruments affecting wages (sections 244 to 261), equal remuneration orders (sections 262 to 273), and miscellaneous matters (sections 274 to 277).
Chapter 8 contains the heart of the Act for individual disputes. Part 1 (sections 278 to 314) is the general protections regime. Section 282 defines adverse action by employers, prospective employers, employees, and industrial organisations. Section 283 defines "process or proceedings under an industrial law or industrial instrument", which includes commission and court hearings, court proceedings, protected industrial action, the section 235(2) democratic-views process, certifying or amending bargaining instruments, agreeing to cash out paid annual leave, and making a request under chapter 2 part 3 division 4. Section 284 defines a workplace right. Section 285 prohibits adverse action because of a workplace right or because of exercising or proposing to exercise a workplace right. Sections 286 to 314 deal with coercion, false or misleading representations, undue influence or pressure, freedom of association, industrial activity, sham contracting, and remedies including compensation under section 314 and reinstatement orders.
Chapter 8 part 2 (sections 315 to 335) deals with dismissals. Section 316 declares a dismissal unfair if it is harsh, unjust or unreasonable. Section 315 excludes employees in the first three months (the probationary period), short term casual employees, employees engaged for a specific period or task (with anti-avoidance carve-out), and employees not under an industrial instrument and not on tenure under the Public Sector Act 2022 whose annual wages equal or exceed the high income threshold under section 333 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cwlth). Sections 317 to 322 set the application timeline (21 days, extendable), conciliation, arbitration, the section 320 factors (notice of reasons, conduct or operational grounds, prior warnings, opportunity to respond), reinstatement and compensation. Section 322(2) caps compensation at six months' wages (or for non-instrument employees the lesser of that amount and half the high income threshold). Section 323 lets the commission impose 50 penalty unit orders for wilful contravention of reinstatement orders.
Chapter 9 covers employer records (sections 336 to 355). Section 339 (industrial instrument employees) and section 340 (non-industrial instrument employees) require time and wages records covering name, address, date of birth, designation, instrument, hours each day and week, breaks, wage rates, gross and net wages, deductions, superannuation contributions, sick leave, dates of starting and stopping employment, and additional particulars showing compliance with hours of work and wage rates. Section 339(4) and section 340(4) require records to be kept for six years. Maximum penalties are 40 penalty units. Section 341 requires an employee register with index for employers of more than 100. Section 348 lets authorised officers enter workplaces, with section 349 setting limits on the entry power. Sections 358 to 376 cover wages and occupational superannuation, including section 393 priority of mine wages.
Chapter 10 covers private employment agents and the labour hire and contracting framework. Chapter 11 establishes the courts and Industrial Registry: the Industrial Court of Queensland (sections 407 to 424), the Industrial Relations Commission (sections 425 to 514), the Industrial Magistrates Court (sections 515 to 530) and the Industrial Registry (sections 531 to 569).