Good buried lede here. Given the tendency of Coffs employers to combine what they are legally allowed with whatever they think they can get away with, I'm sure it would be surprising news to many Coffs employees that employers are not currently permitted to force the taking of annual leave over Christmas/New Year.

Add to this common practice the new ability to cash out the remaining two weeks leave per year, and you have the effective end of paid leave at a time chosen by the employee. I'm sure that this ugly period now passing has indeed seen many a headache for employers, who have longed to transfer all, rather than just most, of the cost of demand fluctuations and their own incompetence onto their serfs.

Thanks, Fair Work Commission!