Australia remains a prime market for remote talent: Highly skilled, culturally aligned and operating within a stable legal framework. But as workplace legislation continues to evolve, international companies building a remote workforce into Australia,  particularly in tech, finance and engineering need to stay one step ahead.

At Portas Global, we help global businesses navigate the complexity of Australian employment laws through our Employer of Record (EOR) service. Here's what HR and talent leaders should be watching in 2025:

Unfair Dismissals & Employment Claims Are on the Rise

In 2023/24, unfair dismissal remained the most common type of claim, making up 37% of all filings at the Fair Work Commission (FWC), followed by general protections at 14%.

For fast paced sectors like tech and finance, where project based work, rapid scaling and performance pressures are the norm, this rise signals a need for caution. Employees are more informed about their rights and missteps in dismissal or performance management can now escalate quickly into legal claims.

Portas Global ensures all employment contracts, terminations and performance procedures are locally compliant and ethically handled, protecting your people and your reputation.

The Right to Disconnect Is Law

Australia's new “right to disconnect” law grants employees the legal right to ignore work communications outside of hours.

For globally distributed teams, common in engineering and tech environments, this can create operational friction across time zones. Employers must now balance productivity expectations with local regulations around work life boundaries.

Portas Global advises on compliant communication protocols and local work hour expectations so your business can stay agile without overstepping legal limits.

Flexible Work is Legally Protected

Australian employees have long had the right to request flexible working arrangements, but legislative changes now give the FWC the power to arbitrate disputes when requests are denied.

This affects companies offering fully remote or hybrid roles especially in engineering and finance, where flexible work is often expected. Denying a remote work request without clear and fair reasoning could now lead to legal challenges.

Portas Global helps build flexibility into your hiring framework ensuring every request is handled according to Australian law while aligning with your company’s operational needs.

Why This Matters for Global Hiring

For HR teams outside Australia, the challenge is twofold:

• You must know how to comply with Australian laws.
• And still deliver a seamless and equitable experience for your remote hires.

That’s where Portas Global steps in.

We act as your local Australian HR partner, managing employment relationships, employment law pitfalls and compliance so you can focus on building high performing distributed teams.

The Portas Global Advantage

We’ve supported tech companies, fintech innovators and global engineering firms to expand into Australia without needing to set up a local entity.

With Portas Global you get:

• Expert compliance with local laws
• Streamlined onboarding and payroll management
• Culturally aware HR support
• Local insight with a global mindset and experience in managing global distributed teams

If your business is ready to build an Australian remote workforce the right way then Portas Global can simplify your next strategic hire.