All publications relating to ‘Employment’
The Liberals are in implications for employers and employees
In Brief The Liberals are in and Tony Abbot has promised to “restore the balance back to the sensible centre” in industrial relations by not replacing, but improving the current Fair Work Act. What does this actually mean for employees and employers? From the Liberal Party’s proposed policies we feel that…
The Virgin Look Book: Can you control the appearance of your employees?
In Brief One issue commonly faced by employers is getting employees to comply with dress and grooming standards, and when an employee chooses not to or cannot comply, determining what their options are. This was the scenario faced by Virgin Airlines with one of its cabin staff, a Mr David Taleski, whose employment…
A Practical Guide to Warnings in the Workplace
What is a workplace warning? A warning is a communication be it verbal (more informal) or written (more formal) to an employee about their performance or conduct at work. They are a mechanism for communicating an identified area where an employee needs improvement, or where conduct does not meet the requisite standard. The aim is…
Hiring a worker who is not an Australian citizen? Your responsibilities have now increased
In Brief For some businesses attracting and retaining employees in low skill or alternately highly specialised roles is an ongoing challenge. To stay competitive and retain control of the labour spend, it can be necessary to employ workers who are not citizens of Australia. There has always been an element of…
The dos and don’ts when terminating employees
In Brief How you terminate an employee can be a minefield, with many employers finding themselves before the Fair Work Commission because they got it wrong. A claim for unfair dismissal is an accessible and cheap process for many employees which can end up costing employers a lot of time and money. This article…
Stop bullying orders — workplace bullying soon to become a more public ordeal
In Brief Bullying has increasingly been recognised as a serious issue in the workplace, in education and in the online world. Recently the Victoria Supreme Court ordered an employer pay a bullied employee $600,000 following their inaction over her bullying claims. The case demonstrates the seriousness of bullying and how important it is…
Employers need to be aware of changes to the Migration Act 1958 (Cth)
In Brief In March of this year the Migration Amendment (Reform of Employer Sanctions) Act 2013 (Cth) (the Amendment) was passed. This Amendment has introduced several important changes to the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) (the Act). These include offences and civil contraventions for employers in addition to increased powers for the…
What to avoid when terminating employees
In Brief There are several actions which Employers need to be aware can get them into trouble regarding terminating an employee and any subsequent employee claim to the Fair Work Commission. Remember a claim for unfair dismissal is an accessible and cheap process for many employees which can end up costing employers…
Workplace Policies — What are they good for?
In Brief Employers interested in keeping the costs of their business down often view workplace policies as an unnecessary expense. However, when things go wrong in a workplace the catchcry is too often “if only we had a policy!” There are definite benefits to workplaces policies, the most important is that workplace policies…
Hiring Disabled Employees
In Brief People often judge a book by its cover and this still applies when it comes to the judgments we make about each other. In light of the proposed anti discrimination legislation, this article outlines how the supported wage system assists with the employment of disabled persons. What is the supported wage system…