Book Review: Stewart’s Guide to Employment Law 2nd Edition

By Andrew Stewart
Published by The Federation Press
Reviewed by Dominic Katter

The second edition of Stewart’s Guide to Employment Law has been significantly updated to incorporate the Fair Work Act, which came into effect on 1 July 2009.  While the structure of the monograph is largely un-altered, the content now traverses the new legislation, the ‘modern award’ system that will be in place from 2010, the National Employment Standards, unfair dismissal laws and some 90 new decisions that have been delivered since the first edition was published in 2008. 

Andrew Stewart is the John Bray Professor of Law at the University of Adelaide, as well as a Legal Consultant with the law firm Piper Alderman.  Stewart was recently elected President of the Australian Labour Law Association. 

Stewart’s expertise and experience as to employment law are the basis for his clear style of writing and the cohesive structure of the work.  The chapters deal with the formation and termination of employment contracts, enterprise agreements, dispute resolution and industrial action, as well as practical matters such as remuneration, leave, discrimination and workplace safety. 

This work would be useful to legal practitioners in the field of employment law, while remaining accessible enough for students and those with a non-legal background to gain an overview of key principles.  Stewart has included some discussion of major policy considerations that have impacted the realm of employment law.  Stewart’s text effectively and efficiently deals with the challenge that is Australian employment law:  ever-changing Commonwealth and State legislation, contract, equity and tort law.

At a recommended retail price of $64.95 or direct from the publisher at $60, the Guide represents good value.

Dominic Katter