Myth: I do not need an employment contract I can just rely on the award.
Busted: We would not recommend this.
An award is the industrial instrument that sets out the minimum terms and conditions of employment, awards do not necessarily deal with all matters that are relevant to an employment relationship.
An employment relationship will establish a contractual relationship and awards do not contain any provisions for ending the contract. Further, there are likely other relevant matters that should be included in a contract which are not provided for in an award.
Therefore, we recommend that an employment agreement/contract be entered into with every employee. The agreement/contract does not have to be lengthy but should always address key issues relevant to the engagement and spell out how to end the contract.