Kurt Vonnegut once said, in response to the question of why one should write books when senators and generals and other important people won’t read them, “you catch people before they become generals and presidents.” As it is with the lessons of literature, so too is it with employer branding. More than 70% of candidates will take a business’ employer…

It can seem unbelievable that gender inequality persists in Australian workplaces in 2019. As well as the obvious human rights issues, some employers and managers fail to comprehend that a lack of gender equality can have measurable negative consequences for the organisation as a whole. 

Let's examine some of the alarming statistics around the situation for women in the workplace, the benefits of championing gender…

Workplace culture can dramatically vary from workplace to workplace.

It is becoming increasingly challenging for employers and employees to understand where  the line is between a relaxed, open and friendly workplace culture, a robust workplace culture and what is a workplace with a bullying or harassment issue?

In a recent decision, the Fair Work Commission (FWC) was tasked with unpacking these difficult issues (Pridham and Rose v Viterra Operations Pty Ltd T/A…

Under workers compensation legislation, the “reasonable action” defence is one often relied upon by insurers against claims of work-related psychological injury.

The parameters of the “reasonable action” defence differ to some extent across the Australian states and territories. In some states, such as Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania, the definition of “reasonable action” is quite broad and can encompass a wide range of actions by the employer. However, in other…

As almost everyone reading this right now can probably attest, the current global talent market can make things extremely difficult for recruiters. There’s a shortage of skilled labor in many industries, and businesses are constantly competing to establish themselves as the employer of choice through employer branding efforts that tend to be costly, complex, and time-consuming. This can be especially troubling for large, global businesses, who might have incredibly varied…

I talk a lot about the dos and the don’ts of recruitment and hunting for work, but what are the rules of being headhunted?

In this episode, Brett Jarman, (the founder and CEO of Experts On Air, the producers of the podcast) joins me again to decipher the tricky subject.

Listen to us discuss this…

When conducting a workplace investigation, it is important that supporting evidence is collected in order to ensure that any decisions can be backed up, particularly in the event of legal proceedings.

We examine the merits of recording evidence in a signed statement versus an affidavit.

WHAT IS A SIGNED STATEMENT?  …

A recent decision from the District Court of New South Wales has highlighted the importance of a host employer’s duty of care to any labour-hire worker it engages where the work directions and conditions are within the host employer’s knowledge and control.

In Castillo v Premist Framework Contractors Pty Ltd [2019] NSWC DC 6, a labour-hire worker successfully established that a host employer’s negligence caused him to sustain an injury to his left knee.

The labour-hire…

If you’re determined to build a better culture for your team, think again. Instead, aim to build a better culture with your team. When it comes to exercising empathy for employees, walking the walk starts with five simple steps.

1. Get greater context

Whilst you may not have the capacity to ‘walk a mile’ in your team’s shoes, make sure you spend significant time right alongside them. Inhabit the actual space and systems with which your teams…

I feel like the temperature in our workplaces is continually heating up. Maybe it's just a reflection of our current fiery western culture where we appear to be less tolerant of disagreement and less open to alternatives to working through that agreement. So, I’ve been doing some…

The Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (FW Act) provides a minimum entitlement to redundancy pay in situations where an employee’s position is genuinely made redundant. There are exceptions, however, to when this entitlement will be paid, one of which is when the employer no longer requires the job to be done due to the “ordinary and customary turnover of labour”.

What this phrase actually means was recently considered by the Federal Court of Australia in the…

The Fair Work Commission (FWC) has reduced an employee’s entitlement to redundancy pay to nil after an employer successfully argued that it obtained ‘other acceptable employment’ for the employee, which the employee had refused.

Under section 120 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (FW Act), the FWC has the discretion to reduce an employee’s entitlement to redundancy pay in either of the following circumstances:

(i) the employer obtains other acceptable employment for the…

Let’s say you’re a recruitment marketer trying to reach passive job candidates on various niche platforms across the web. You know that active job seekers make up only 20% of candidates. You know that in order to reach the other 80% (many of whom would gladly switch jobs for the right company) you have to go where they are, and you’ve endeavored to do so, rolling out a recruitment…

It can seem as though the difficult part of a workplace investigation is dealt with by undergoing the investigative process, and making a decision as to how to deal with the employee. But the aftermath of an investigation, for example bringing an employee back into the workplace fold after a suspension, can be equally difficult. 

We examine what an employer should know, and do, in such a situation.…

Even though a lot of people talk about a healthy work-life balance, not a lot of them are in a position to actually practice it. That is unless the employer that they’re working for decides to do something about it. We’re, of course, referring to the concept known as office chill zone. Now, this phrase could stand for a number of different ideas and approaches, which is why we’ll try to cover as many different concepts as we can. With that in mind and without…

While on the surface investing in employee wellbeing may seem extravagant in terms of the priorities many SME owners face, the reality is, a focus on workplace wellbeing can dramatically improve productivity and staff churn.

 However, you don’t need the resources of Google to foster a culture of wellbeing in the office. Here are some clever ways to promote wellness in the workplace that won’t necessarily require a big budget.

1. Swap sugary snacks to healthier…

One of the most difficult aspects of a workplace investigation is the moment when the investigator or employer realises the immediate suspension of an employee is required. 

We examine the warning signs that a suspension might be necessary, as well as the best way to handle this complex eventuality.

THE WHAT AND WHY OF SUSPENSION

Most investigations…