During the process of conducting workplace investigations, it is generally necessary to prepare letters of notification, and later, letters of allegation. 

We take a look at the difference between the two, and provide some tips on how to prepare these important documents. …

One of Workplace Law’s lawyers recently attended a sporting event at one of the largest sporting arenas in New South Wales, and had the unfortunate experience of having to listen to nearby spectators make inappropriate (and racially charged) comments about the players on the field. This issue was raised with the hosting club and the venue subsequent to the game, however, as the perpetrators couldn’t be identified, the response was that the matter could not be taken any further.

For…

Australian and New Zealand organisations are upskilling their employees at “dial-up” speeds in a market that demands rapid learning and development programs, finds new research from Skillsoft, a global leader in corporate learning.

Based on a Vanson Bourne survey of 1,000 employees across Australia (855) and New Zealand (145) about their readiness for the future of work, Skillsoft’s Mind the Gap report released today reveals 55 percent…

When conducting a workplace investigation, it is crucial to be able to demonstrate that appropriate procedures have been followed. This is essential in defending any subsequent action that may be taken. 

It can be helpful for employers to create an action plan utilising Terms of Reference (ToR) and the services of an external investigator to keep the investigation process on track. 

3…

The Modern Slavery Act (2018) came to pass on 1 January 2019, and for companies with a consolidated revenue of more than $100 million, it establishes mandatory reporting criteria. The first reports are due in February 2020 and information required will include:

• Their structure, operations and supply chains;
• Potential modern slavery risks;
• Actions taken to assess and address these risks; and
• How they assess the effectiveness of these…

Employers should be well aware of the legal and associated requirements that come into play when someone in the workplace raises their hand with a grievance. 

Complaints about unacceptable and/or inappropriate behaviour can arise from any work area, and in regard to a wide variety of issues. Grievance handling needs to be fair and consistent - yet with each situation being approached on an individual basis. …

Collaborative Leadership and LOVE?

I was recently reading an article about the principles of ‘Collaborative Leadership’. The author suggested that “Principled Leadership’ required a leader to be clear about their own values as well as those of the organisation and be able to articulate them. The author then gave examples of the values that they believed embodied the concept of a true leader. These values were listed as:

Collaboration

Group…

In most workplaces, it is very common to hear terms such as ‘workplace culture’ or hiring managers, advising that they are looking for ‘the right culture fit’ when considering candidates for their vacancies. What does it really mean when we say, ‘workplace culture’ or ‘the right culture fit’?

What is workplace…

The office kitchen is the heart and soul of a business. A place where employees come together to bond over a meal, collaborate over a tea or coffee, and make sure they eat enough healthy food to keep them going for the rest of the day.

With white goods like toasters out and being used all day, water boiling for tea, and unhealthy food options easily accessible, keeping the office kitchen safe and healthy is a challenge for most businesses.

While you might think you’re doing…

For many employers, a workplace investigation process can appear quite challenging to navigate. Questions around the actual subject of the investigation, and who is best qualified to carry out this important task, can immediately arise.

The investigation process itself is characterised by a number of important processes that are designed to reduce the risk of negative perceptions and/or potential legal pitfalls at a…

Safety is most certainly one of the major concerns of every construction company. The job, obviously, comes with a wide variety of risks. This is why it is essential for your business to have a strong safety culture. Engagement with each and every employee is crucial because they all need to be trained and fully aware of all the possible risks, as well as the ways to make sure that everyone on the worksite is protected. …

Working by yourself is hard enough, so when you add other people to the mix, keeping a healthy workplace becomes even harder. Working in a collective has many perks, but you also need to take into consideration the health and habits of those around you. Even if you are just an…

With so much buzz around “The Future of Work” it seems only natural to think about “The Future of HR”.

Certainly, it feels like there is a shift occurring in the field. The external imperatives are there with technology, globalisation, growth, change and consolidation. The business environment is also evolving rapidly and the need for transformation, innovation and agility is critical.

Whilst HR now largely has its desired seat at the table, the hard yards are not over. HR must…

We are operating in a business environment that is demanding more from our leaders than ever before. Executives need to be able to innovate, influence and pivot at an unprecedented rate all the while managing more significant risks, regulations and technological change.

It should come as no surprise then that executive recruitment is changing. Here are three changes that we have seen to executive recruitment and why your executive outplacement program needs to adapt to these trends if…

Managing employee exits can be tricky business, particularly when dismissing an employee for unacceptable conduct and behaviour. In some cases, the parties will try and reach an amicable solution to end the employment relationship such as agreeing to allow the employee to resign.



However, employers must be careful when entering into these types of discussions. The way in which an employee’s employment is finalised could have a significant bearing on that employee’s entitlement to…

When most people talk about their recruitment software ecosystem, they're basically just talking about their ATS. Sometimes, the ATS is just the beginning, and there are integrated layers of smart technology connected to it that make recruiters’ (and job candidates’) lives easier. Other times, the “ecosystem” is a black box that magically spits out resumes based on hiring managers’ search parameters. So, you can imagine how this technology might have a huge impact—for better…

New technologies have made never-before-seen options possible when it comes to automation. Using the right tools, this time-consuming task can be automated and therefore finished faster and with less likelihood of human error. Every business should try to incorporate these tools and strive to automate as many processes as possible. Payroll is one such time-consuming task. Here are the most important things to keep in mind when it comes to payroll…