Introduction Over the past decades, there has been a significant change in how Australian employees participate in employment as well as organization of their working environment. This has greatly been caused by increase in competition for labor force in the country (Alexander & Green 1999, pp. 45-63). Currently, organizations have embraced a relatively temporally employment relationship as well as market based mechanisms to work restructuring, skills development and payment. Globalization has led to organizations having access to global market. Consequently, they have been subjected to competition. This has led to companies in Australia embarking on downsizing by outsourcing some of their functions which are not very vital and cutting down on middle management (Australian Manufacturing Council (AMC) 1990, p. 123). Companies are also focusing on using casual and part-time employees. Unlike in the past, organizations are no longer employing people permanently. Every employee is encouraged to perceive his or her employment as a stage in his or her process in career development. Swift changes in technology coupled with dynamic consumer needs are seen as the main factors contributing to organizations offering short-term employment (Baird & Lansbury 1998, pp. 141-153). This paper is aimed at discussing some of the changes that have occurred in employment relationship and labor market in Australia since mid-1980s. Changes in labor market Australian labor market organizations and supporting economic rules are dated back to post-war settlements. These were characterized by centralization of wages, employment conditions setting, white Australian policy and industry protection. During this period, wages were set based on demand by male wage earners as well as comparison with employees doing similar work in different organizations. Hawke and Keating governments are credited with termination of post-war settlement. They introduced policies that focused on reduction of protection through introduction of domineering industry prop up packages to cater for effects of protection reduction. They also promoted centralized control of wages (Buchanan, Callus & Briggs 1999, pp. 43-67). In early 1990s, the government did away with protection and started deregulating labor market through decentralization of wage fixing and allowing enterprises to come up with their individual employment conditions (Business Council of Australia (BCA) 1989, p. 76). Increase in women participation in labor market One of the clearest changes in labor market in Australia since mid-1980s has been increase in the number of women participating in labor market. Before then, a small percentage of women participated in labor market with women holding approximately 30% of jobs in the country. By 1995, the number had significantly increased to about 53.9%. Compared to men, women experience in labor market differs considerably. In 2004, 45% of part-time employees comprised of women with men forming 15% (Campbell 2002, pp. 98-123). This was encouraged by the move by employers to change most of their full-time jobs to part-time especially in banking industry. In the same year, women formed 29% of casual workers relative to 29% of men. However, increase in number of casual workers since 1990s can not be attributed to women participation in this employment. Despite women still being concentrated in casual part-time employment, their number has declined from 79.1% to 66.8% between 1984 and 1998 (Campbell 1996, pp. 76-95). Contrary to this,