Online business directory, TrueLocal.com.au, is offering small businesses a free online education course to help them understand the key features of the new Fair Work Act 2009 implemented this month. 

The Fair Work Act 2009 is the second major overhaul of the industrial relations landscape in four years. The first phase of the new legislation came into effect on July 1 2009.

The Introduction to Fair Work Act 2009 course is designed to introduce participants to the Fair Work Act and its main characteristics. It focuses on the unfair dismissal provisions including the Fair Dismissal Code for Small Businesses and the new collective bargaining framework.

It aims to help participants understand the new legislation and enable them to implement it.

CEO of TrueLocal.com.au, John Allan, said that small business employers were struggling to understand the new legislation.

“Recent research from the Australian Retailers Association found that almost three quarters of those surveyed did not fully understand their obligations under the Fair Work Act," Allan said.

“Identifying this problem, we have teamed up with our e-learning provider Learning Seat to offer small businesses a free online course to help them navigate through the new legislation.

“After downloading the course, they can complete it at their own pace, in their own time and in an easy format.”

The course is available at no cost until March 2010.

The one hour course can be downloaded from http://www.truelocal.com.au/business-centre.