Although there is no general exclusion based on the size of the enterprise in the FWA, there are however some exemptions or specific requirements pertaining to dismissal in businesses with less than 15 employees (referred to in the Act as "small business employer": s23 FWA).
1) Small business employers are excluded from the obligation to pay redundancy pay (s121(1)b) FWA)
2) In addition, small business employees cannot make a claim for unfair dismissal in the first 12 months following their engagement, whereas protection against unfair dismissal applies after 6 months of employment in businesses with 15 or more employees.
3) After the 12-month-period of employment, small business employers must observe the requirements set out in the Small Business Fair Dismissal Code in order to dismiss an employee. If the employer follows the Code, then the dismissal will be deemed to be fair.

It is worth noting that under the former legislation, there was a broader exemption related to the size of the employer's workforce. According to s643 (Workplace Relations Act), claims of unfair dismissal were not available to employees working for an employer with 100 or fewer employees.

The scope of application of the FWA differs in the various parts of the Act. 'Employee' and 'employer' are either given 'their ordinary meaning' or most frequently refer to 'national system employees' or 'national system employer'.
The main provisions on dismissal apply only to national system employees (i.e Part 3-2 on Unfair Dismissal, redundancy pay and notice of termination provisions).

The definition of national system employees and employers is provided in s14 and 15 FWA.
Employees covered by the national workplace relations system include those:
- employed by a constitutional corporation (these are corporations that are trading or financial, usually Pty Ltd or Ltd companies)
- employed by the Commonwealth or a Commonwealth authority
- employed in Victoria, the Northern Territory or the Australian Capital Territory
- a flight crew officer, a maritime employee, a waterside employee, employed in connection with interstate or overseas trade or commerce.

The Act has also foreseen a referral mechanism (sec. 30A to 30R) enabling states to join the national system rather than keeping their own specific system.

Since 1 January 2010, sole traders, partnerships, other unincorporated entities and non-trading corporations in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania have joined the national system.
All private sector employers in the New South Wales, Queensland, South Australian, Tasmanian system are therefore covered by the national system since 1 January 2010.
The Western Australian government has chosen not to join the national system.

Consequently, the following employees are not covered by those provisions of the FWA which only applies to national system employees:
- Employees in state public sector and local government employees in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania and Western Australia are not covered by the national system and remain under their respective state system.
- Western Australian corporations whose main activity is not trading or financial.
- Western Australian sole traders, partnerships, or other unincorporated entities.

With regards to protection against unfair dismissal, according to s382, a national system employee is protected from unfair dismissal and is therefore eligible to make an application for unfair dismissal if he or she has completed 'the minimum employment period'. In addition to having completed the minimum employment period, s382 provides that one of the following conditions shall be fulfilled:
"(i) a modern award covers the person;
(ii) an enterprise agreement applies to the person in relation to the employment;
(iii) the sum of the person's annual rate of earnings, and such other amounts (if any) worked out in relation to the person in accordance with the regulations, is less than the high income threshold"[which from 1 July 2009 is $108,300, indexed annually – from 1 July 2018, the indexed threshold amount is $145,400].

In addition, there are specific exclusions attached to a number of dismissals requirements. Such exclusions, generally based on the nature of the employment relationship, have been indicated under the relevant item (i.e redundancy pay, notice of termination...).

On "who is covered by the national system", see the website "The Fair Work System":
https://www.fairwork.gov.au/about-us/legislation/the-fair-work-system

No statutory limitation. Subject to courts' findings.

No statutory limitation. Subject to courts' findings.

OECD statistics, last estimates for 2015, based on the following definitions:

“Temporary worker: Temporary workers are those employees (excluding owner-managers of incorporated enterprises) where the employment in main job has a set completion date or event (fixed-term contract), or casuals (those without leave entitlements) where employment is expected to continue for less than 12 months with “seasonal/temporary job/fixed contract” reported as the reason."
(Available at: http://www.oecd.org/employment/emp/employmentdatabase-employment.htm )

There is no statutory probationary period in the FWA.
However, according to s382, a national system employee is protected from unfair dismissal and is therefore eligible to make an application for unfair dismissal if he or she has completed "the minimum employment period"..
The minimum employment period is defined in s383 FWA as follows:
- 6 months if the employer is not a small business employer (15 or more employees) or,
- 1 year if the employer is a small business employer (less than 15 employees).

Regarding the above list of prohibited grounds:
- "Family responsibilities" should be understood as covering "Family or carer's responsibilities";
- "Temporary work injury or illness" should be understood as covering "Temporary absence from work due to work injury or illness";
- "Social origin" should be understood as covering "National extraction or social origin"; and
- "Disabilities" should be understood as covering "Physical or mental disabilities".

Part 3-1 of the FWA contains a set of general protections against discriminatory or wrongful treatment which includes but is not limited to protection against dismissal on certain grounds. See in particular:
- s340 FWA that prohibits adverse action (which includes dismissal) against another person in relation to the exercise of workplace rights (as defined in s341 FWA);
- s346 FWA that prohibits adverse action (which includes dismissal) against another person in relation to industrial activities;
- s351 FWA on discrimination;
- s352 FWA on prohibition of dismissal on the grounds of temporary absence from work because of illness or injury.
Employees who believe to have been dismissed in contravention with the "general protections provisions" of the Act, can apply to Fair Work Commission to deal with the dismissal.

The Act also contains a special provision on unlawful termination: s772 FWA makes it unlawful for an employer to terminate an employee's employment for certain reasons. However, employees are barred by s723 from lodging a complaint of unlawful termination if they are entitled to make a general protections court application in relation to the conduct. Therefore, unlawful termination applications are only available to workers employed by Western Australian corporations whose main activity is not trading or financial or Western Australian sole traders, partnerships, or other unincorporated entities.

No statutory provisions providing for special protection found in the legislation reviewed.

s117(1) FWA: "an employer must not terminate an employee's employment unless the employer has given the employee written notice of the day of the termination".

Notice of termination is - together with other rights and entitlements set out in part 2.2 of the FWA - part of the new "National Employment Standards", in force since 1st January 2010.
s117(3) establishes the statutory minimum notice periods which varies according to the length of service and the age, as follows:
- If the employee has been continuously employed for not more than 1 year, the notice period shall be 1 week;
- If the length of service is more than 1 year but not more than 3 years, the notice period shall be 2 weeks;
- If the length of service is more than 3 year but not more than 5 years, the notice period shall be 3 weeks;
- If the length of service is more than 5 years, the notice period shall be 4 weeks.

In addition, the notice period shall be increased by 1 week if the employee is over 45 years old and has completed at least 2 years of continuous service with the employer at the end of the day the notice is given.

However, according to s123 FWA, the provisions on notice of termination do not apply to the following employees:
- Employees not covered by Division 11 of the FWA (both notice of termination and redundancy pay):
"(1) (a) an employee employed for a specified period of time, for a specified task, or for the duration of a specified season;
(b) an employee whose employment is terminated because of serious misconduct;
(c) a casual employee;
(d) an employee (other than an apprentice) to whom a training arrangement applies and whose employment is for a specified period of time or is, for any reason, limited to the duration of the training arrangement;
(e) an employee prescribed by the regulations as an employee to whom this Division does not apply.
(2) Paragraph (1)(a) does not prevent this Division from applying to an employee if a substantial reason for employing the employee as described in that paragraph was to avoid the application of this Division"
- Other employees not covered by notice of termination provisions:
"(3) (b) a daily hire employee working in the building and construction industry (including working in connection with the erection, repair, renovation, maintenance, ornamentation or demolition of buildings or structures); or
(c) a daily hire employee working in the meat industry in connection with the slaughter of livestock; or
(d) a weekly hire employee working in connection with the meat industry and whose termination of employment is determined solely by seasonal factors; or
(e) an employee prescribed by the regulations as an employee to whom that Subdivision does not apply."

See s530 FWA.

Note that the specific rules on notification and consultation in case of collective dismissal do not apply in relation to any of the following employees (s534 FWA):
"(1) (a) an employee employed for a specified period of time, for a specified task, or for the duration of a specified season;
(b) an employee who is dismissed because of serious misconduct;
(c) a casual employee;
(d) an employee (other than an apprentice) to whom a training arrangement applies and whose employment is for a specified period of time or is, for any reason, limited to the duration of the training arrangement;
(e) a daily hire employee working in the building and construction industry (including working in connection with the erection, repair, renovation, maintenance, ornamentation or demolition of buildings or structures);
(f) a daily hire employee working in the meat industry in connection with the slaughter of livestock;
(g) a weekly hire employee working in connection with the meat industry and whose dismissal is determined solely by seasonal factors;
(h) an employee prescribed by the regulations as an employee in relation to whom this Division does not apply.
(2) Paragraph (1)(a) does not prevent this Division from applying in relation to an employee if a substantial reason for employing the employee as described in that paragraph was to avoid the application of this Division."

s531(3) FWA

s530 FWA: mandatory notification of the proposed dismissals to the Chief Executive Officer of the Commonwealth Services Delivery Agency (Centrelink).

s531 (2) FWA: notification to each registered employee association of which any of the employees is a member, and that is entitled to represent the industrial interests of that member.

s531(3) FWA: The employer shall give each registered employee association of which any of the employees was a member, and that was entitled to represent the industrial interests of that member, an opportunity to consult the employer on:
(i) measures to avert or minimise the proposed dismissals; and
(ii) measures (such as finding alternative employment) to mitigate the adverse effects of the proposed dismissals.

s119 (1) FWA provides that "an employee is to be paid redundancy pay by the employer if the employee's employment is terminated:
(a) at the employer's initiative because the employer no longer requires the job done by the employee to be done by anyone, except where this is due to the ordinary and customary turnover of labour; or
(b) because of the insolvency or bankruptcy of the employer."

The amount of the redundancy pay varies according to the employee's period of continuous service as follows:

- if the employee has at least 1 year but less than 2 years of continuous service: redundancy pay is 4 weeks;
- if the employee has at least 2 years but less than 3 years of continuous service: redundancy pay is 6 weeks;
- if the employee has at least 3 years but less than 4 years of continuous service: redundancy pay is 7 weeks;
- if the employee has at least 4 years but less than 5 years of continuous service: redundancy pay is 8 weeks;
- if the employee has at least 5 years but less than 6 years of continuous service: redundancy pay is 10 weeks;
- if the employee has at least 6 years but less than 7 years of continuous service: redundancy pay is 11 weeks;
-if the employee has at least 7 years but less than 8 years of continuous service: redundancy pay is 13 weeks;
- if the employee has at least 8 years but less than 9 years of continuous service: redundancy pay is 14 weeks;
- if the employee has at least 9 years but less than 10 years of continuous service: redundancy pay is 16 weeks;
- if the employee has at least 10 years of continuous service: redundancy pay is 12 weeks.

Therefore, the maximum statutory redundancy pay is 16 weeks' pay for someone with between 9 and 10 years' service with one employer.

Employees with less than 12 months of continuous service are not entitled to redundancy pay (s121(1)a) FWA).

The obligation to pay redundancy does not apply to small business employers (employers with less than 15 employees).
In addition, s123 FWA excludes from redundancy pay the following employees:
- Exclusion from the division 11 FWA (both notice of termination and redundancy pay):
"(1)(a) an employee employed for a specified period of time, for a specified task, or for the duration of a specified season;
(b) an employee whose employment is terminated because of serious misconduct;
(c) a casual employee;
(d) an employee (other than an apprentice) to whom a training arrangement applies and whose employment is for a specified period of time or is, for any reason, limited to the duration of the training arrangement;
(e) an employee prescribed by the regulations as an employee to whom this Division does not apply.
(2) Paragraph (1)(a) does not prevent this Division from applying to an employee if a substantial reason for employing the employee as described in that paragraph was to avoid the application of this Division"

-"Other employees not covered by redundancy pay provisions
(3)(a) an employee who is an apprentice; or
(b) an employee to whom an industry-specific redundancy scheme in a modern award applies; or
(c) an employee to whom a redundancy scheme in an enterprise agreement applies if:
(i) the scheme is an industry-specific redundancy scheme that is incorporated by reference (and as in force from time to time) into the enterprise agreement from a modern award that is in operation; and
(ii) the employee is covered by the industry-specific redundancy scheme in the modern award; or
(d) an employee prescribed by the regulations as an employee to whom that Subdivision does not apply"

See s392 FWA on Remedy - compensation

s392 (5) and (6) FWA on Compensation cap
Compensation cap
"(5) The amount ordered by FWC to be paid to a person under subsection (1) must not exceed the lesser of:
(a) the amount worked out under subsection (6); and
(b) half the amount of the high income threshold immediately before the dismissal.
(6) The amount is the total of the following amounts:
(a) the total amount of remuneration:
(i) received by the person; or
(ii) to which the person was entitled;
(whichever is higher) for any period of employment with the employer during the 26 weeks immediately before the dismissal; and
(b) if the employee was on leave without pay or without full pay while so employed during any part of that period - the amount of remuneration taken to have been received by the employee for the period of leave in accordance with the regulations."

s390 and s391 FWA.
s391 reads as follows:
"Reinstatement
(1) An order for a person's reinstatement must be an order that the person's employer at the time of the dismissal reinstate the person by:
(a) reappointing the person to the position in which the person was employed immediately before the dismissal; or
(b) appointing the person to another position on terms and conditions no less favourable than those on which the person was employed immediately before the dismissal.
(1A) If:
(a) the position in which the person was employed immediately before the dismissal is no longer a position with the person's employer at the time of the dismissal; and
(b) that position, or an equivalent position, is a position with an associated entity of the employer;
the order under subsection (1) may be an order to the associated entity to:
(c) appoint the person to the position in which the person was employed immediately before the dismissal; or
(d) appoint the person to another position on terms and conditions no less favourable than those on which the person was employed immediately before the dismissal [...]"

After an unfair dismissal application has been lodged, the Fair Work Commission must resort to all means other than arbitration which it considers are likely to resolve the conflict, such mediation, conciliation, making a recommendation or expressing an opinion (sec. 368 FWA). It usually convenes a conciliation conference of the parties which is held by telephone with a conciliator from the Fair Work Commission.

Unfair dismissal disputes are decided by the Fair Work Commission (which is the national workplace relations tribunal) (sec. 385, 390 FWA)

Note that general protections dismissal applications (see prohibited grounds) can be brought to the FWC which must deal with the dismissal by mediation or conciliation. If it is satisfied that all reasonable attempts to resolve the dispute by mediation or conciliation have been or are likely to be unsuccessful ,it must issue a decision to refer the dispute to arbitration. If both parties agree, the FWC can then resolve the conflict by arbitration (sec. 369 FWA). Otherwise, the applicant can then make an application to an ordinary court to deal with the matter (Sec 370 FWA).
A person cannot make a general protections dismissal application at the same time as an unfair dismissal application

If the FWC is satisfied that all reasonable attempts to resolve a general protections dismissal application by mediation or conciliation have been or are likely to be unsuccessful and has issued a formal decision regarding this matter, it can, with the approval of both parties, resolve the conflict by arbitration, including by issuing binding orders to reinstate or compensate the applicant, to maintain his or her employment and to pay lost remuneration (sec. 369 FWA).