In a recent case brought before the Workplace Relations Tribunal, a dispute emerged between a dedicated worker and her...
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Unpacking the Complexities of Disability Accommodation in the Workplace
A recent case examined by the Fair Work Commission (FWC) sheds light on the complexities surrounding performance...
Examining a Court Decision on Wrongful Dismissal and Workplace Allegations
A recent legal case adjudicated by the Supreme Court of Queensland has provided insights into the complexities...
Understanding the Complexities of Employment Relationships: Lessons from the FWC Decision
In a recent case before the Fair Work Commission (FWC), the critical question of whether a worker should be classified...
Expert Tips for Conducting a Comprehensive Psychosocial Risk Assessment in the Workplace
As workplace health and safety regulations continue to evolve, HR professionals find themselves at the forefront of...
Understanding General Protections vs. Unfair Dismissal in Employment Law
When it comes to terminating an employee, most people immediately think of unfair dismissal. While unfair dismissal is...
Navigating the Complexities of Medicinal Cannabis in the Workplace: A Guide for HR Managers
The rise in medicinal cannabis use has introduced new challenges for HR professionals, particularly in...
The High Cost of Exploiting Workers: A Case Study on Sham Contracting and Its Consequences
In a recent legal battle, a company faced nearly $200,000 in penalties for exploiting workers through sham contracts....
Employer’s Rights and Obligations During Workplace Investigations: Ensuring Fairness and Compliance
Understanding the Legal Landscape for Employers In a landmark decision, the Fair Work Commission (FWC) recently ruled...
Understanding Workplace Bullying and Reasonable Management Action
The modern workplace is a dynamic environment, constantly shifting due to technological advancements, evolving...
Evolving Sexual Harassment Laws in Australia: Essential Steps for Employers and HR Professionals
Over the past 12 to 18 months, sexual harassment laws in Australia have undergone significant changes. These...
Compliance Check: 3 Essential Strategies to Prepare for the Right to Disconnect Legislation
As the Right to Disconnect law comes into effect in just a few weeks, it is crucial for employers to take proactive...
Understanding the New Casual Employment Rules under the Fair Work Act: A Guide for Employers
The Fair Work Act in Australia has undergone significant changes that directly impact how casual employment is defined...
Unfair Dismissal Case Highlights Importance of Clear Communication in the Workplace
The case centred around whether the employee was actually dismissed or had abandoned her position, underscoring the...
The Importance of Following Proper Dismissal Procedures: A Case Study
The Importance of Following Proper Dismissal Procedures: A Case Study In a recent case before the Fair Work Commission...
Starting a New Job While on Leave: Is It a Breach of Contract?
The Fair Work Commission recently dealt with a significant case that raises questions about employment contracts and...
AI in the Workplace: The Challenges and Opportunities Ahead
Generative AI has rapidly become an integral part of the Australian workplace, with 84% of knowledge workers...
Understanding Australia’s ‘Right to Disconnect’ Legislation
Starting August 26, 2024, Australian employees will gain a significant new entitlement—the 'right to disconnect'...
Resignation Amid Remote Work Dispute: A Case Study on Workplace Accommodations
The Fair Work Commission (FWC) recently handled a notable case involving a university employee who claimed her...
Employee Privacy Breach: Legal Implications of Unauthorised Health Updates
The Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) sets stringent requirements for organisations handling personal information. Specifically,...
Navigating Change Management for Business Success
Implementing change within a company can be daunting, with many business leaders uncertain about where to begin....
Misconduct Discovered Post-Dismissal: Can It Affect Redeployment Decisions?
The Fair Work Commission (FWC) recently adjudicated an unfair dismissal case involving a worker in the addiction...
“Same Job, Same Pay” Ruling: Implications for Employers
The Fair Work Commission (FWC) has recently made a significant ruling under the new "Same Job, Same Pay" legislation,...
Personal Transactions at Work: Navigating Employer-Employee Boundaries
Personal Transactions at Work: Navigating Employer-Employee Boundaries In a recent ruling by the Fair Work Commission...
Navigating Workplace Relationships
Strategies for Reducing Stress and Anxiety Workplace relationships can be complex and challenging, often affecting our...
Ordinary hours vs. overtime hours: What’s the difference?
The Fair Work Commission (FWC) recently addressed a significant dispute between a worker and his employer, a security...
“Good Luck with Future Employment”: Employer’s Email Confuses Worker
The Case Overview The Fair Work Commission (FWC) recently tackled a dispute that underscores the complexities of...
Revolutionising Road Transport: A Breakdown of Recent Legislative Changes
The Australian Federal Government has recently enacted significant reforms through the Fair Work Legislation Amendment...
How Effective Are Reference Checks in Identifying Top Job Candidates?
In the hunt to locate the satisfactory candidate for a job, hiring managers appoint diverse methods, from scrutinising...
3 New Workplace Psychosocial Risks HR Should Be Aware Of
As our approaches of running evolve, firms are encountering new psychosocial risks, which include virtual...
Unlocking Success: How HR Consultants Drive Exceptional Results
Managing human resources (HR) efficiently is a challenging task, especially for small to medium-sized businesses that...
Empower Your Team with a Proactive Approach to Performance Management
Performance management is a cornerstone of any successful organisation. It encompasses the processes of setting goals,...
Navigating the New Workplace Laws: How Employers Can Prepare for Changes in Contractor and Employee Classifications
Introduction From August 26th, 2023, Australia will implement significant new regulations that further define the...
FWC Rules Early Notice of Contract End as Dismissal: A Wake-Up Call for Employers
The Fair Work Commission (FWC) recently issued a pivotal ruling that early notice of non-renewal for a fixed-term...
Transform Your Coaching Sessions with These 7 Key Questions
Running a successful coaching session doesn't need to be a daunting, time-consuming endeavour. Michael Bungay Stanier,...
Preventing Wage Underpayment: A Comprehensive Guide for Employers
In recent years, the landscape of Australian employment has been marred by a concerning trend: wage underpayment. This...
Decoding the Evolving Landscape of Work: A New Glossary for Modern Work Terms
The vocabulary of work is constantly changing, reflecting the evolving nature of our professional lives. This glossary...
Navigating the Terrain of Performance Appraisals: A Comprehensive Guide for Human Resources
In the modern corporate realm, performance appraisals have evolved into indispensable tools for companies seeking to...
144 Dead – We Need to Reduce Workplace Incidents
144 people. This is the preliminary number of deaths that have occurred nationally resulting from workplace incidents...
3 Reasons Businesses Should Start 2024 Recruitment Now
Data and statistics from the likes of Seek and Indeed, have found that every January sees an increase in job...
Critical Changes to Unpaid Leave and Temporary Shutdowns
In the past, when a shutdown was approaching, a business would close shop and workers would take time off. Workers in...
Christmas is Almost Here – What You Need to Remember
It is your responsibility as an employer to manage and anticipate worker leave, and on occasion to initiate the need...
Employers – Are you Prepared for Christmas?
With less than 6 weeks until Christmas, it is well and truly time for employers to have conversations with workers...
Why Use AHR to Recruit Your New Team Members?
Since the pandemic recruitment needs have gone from a dramatic plummet to skyrocketing, creating a massive surge in...
Closing Loopholes Bill – Take Action and Stay Informed
On the 4th of September the government introduced the Closing Loopholes Bill. This bill aims to close loopholes that...
Workplace Investigations – ‘Not One Size Fits All’
Workplace accidents and incidents happen! Despite preventative measures they still occur, and following such,...
5 Common Workplace Psychosocial Hazards
We have seen some major changes to Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) legislation this year surrounding psychosocial...
Employee Reinstated After Dismissal for Misconduct
Earlier this year a machine operator from an Australian Company was terminated after ‘supposed’ substantiated grounds...
Understanding the Disciplinary Process
Sometimes employees can slip into bad habits, lose passion, and/or allow external influences and other factors to...
The Importance of Making ‘Reasonable Adjustments’
A South Australian business was recently fined $44,000 for failing to make ‘Reasonable Adjustments’ upon an employee...
Hiring – Where Do I Start?
Today’s hiring market has become increasingly competitive as the amount of job vacancies continues to rise. According...
Closing Loopholes Bill 2023 – What You Need to Know
The proposed ‘Closing Loopholes Bill 2023’ will see future changes to the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth), that may affect...
Paid FDVL Now in Effect
The following article discusses Family and Domestic Violence Leave (FDVL) and may be found as confronting or a trigger...
Excessive Workloads and Psychological Injury
Many of you will relate to a recent case being brought against a large Aussie business, in which an employee received...
The importance of ensuring you are paying the correct award rates to your employees
You may have read this week that the national chain Bakers Delight is facing legal action after 142 members of their...
Psychosocial Legislation and Employer Obligations
As of the 1st of April 2023 for Commonwealth jurisdictions a new code has been introduced to the Workplace Health and...
OKRs verse KPIs
OKRs and KPIs, what are they and why are they necessary for business? It basically comes down to the age old saying,...
The Importance of Due Diligence within Recruitment
Identity crimes costs Australia over $1.6 billion per year (Australian Federal Police, 2022), with identity...
Significant Changes to Awards and Conditions
As an employer it is important that you stay up to date with the changes that effect your employee wages and work...
Benefits of Performance Management
It is time for employers to start focusing and aligning business and employee goals for the upcoming year as the End...
Are You Handling FDVL Confidentially?
The following article discusses Family and Domestic Violence Leave (FDVL) and may be found as confronting or a trigger...
Common Position Description Mistakes
According to recent ELMO Benchmark Surveys (2021), the average cost of recruiting and hiring in Australia is...
Workers Compensation – Handle with Care
Do you know how to effectively manage and communicate with employees that are on workers compensation? Do you know the...
Shutdown Award Provisions
Fair Work Commission Shutdown Provision update: The Fair Work Commission recently reviewed the shutdown provisions in...
Reducing Psychosocial Harm This Easter
Easter holidays are known to increase psychosocial hazards and harm in the workplace. As many employees prepare for...
End of Year Performance Management Fast Approaching
As the end of financial year approaches, so does the looming task for employers to conduct the end of year employee...
Hybrid Working Model Here To Stay
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses were forced to shift to remote work to keep their employees safe...
Social Media Misconduct in the Workplace
Social media misconduct has become an increasingly pressing issue in the workplace today. As the use of social media...
Cyber Security and WHS
As a result of the pandemic and access to technology more businesses than ever before are establishing an online...
Unsafe and Unsecured Loads on Tasmanian Roads
Incident On the 3rd of October 2019, a truck driver and sub-division supervisor were pinned by polyethylene...
Structured Interviews for Success
Statistics show that too often interviewers make judgements of potential candidates based upon first impressions and...
Reasonable Requests for Flexible Working Arrangements
In response to the ‘Secure Jobs, Better Pay’ Bill, it is about to become more challenging for employers to refuse...
Managing Injured Employee Relationships for a Smooth Return to the Workplace
An employee being injured can be a stressful time for all involved, only to be exacerbated if the affected employee...
‘Secure Jobs, Better Pay’ – What Employers Need to Know
In response to the, 'Secure Jobs, Better Pay' Bill, amendments have been made to the Fair Work Act. It is critical...
Reducing Psychosocial Hazards, Injuries and Claims
Based on national data received and analysed by Safe Work Australia (2021), 8% of all work-related claims are...
How to Deal with Chronic Absenteeism
Returning to work after the holidays allows many of us to feel rejuvenated and ready to work, however for some it can...
4 Tips for Hiring Staff Last Minute
Now the festive season is over the holidays have well and truly commenced and with them an increase in consumer...
Christmas Holidays: Managing the Wind Up Before the Wind Down
The Christmas holiday wind down can be particularly busy for businesses, especially HR, with events to plan,...
5 Fun Christmas Party Ideas
The annual Christmas Party and general holiday festivities have seen some disruption over the past few years due to...
Employee Medical History – How To Approach
As an employer, you have the right to know of any employee medical concerns that can or will directly impact an...
It’s Confirmed: Reducing Employee Turnover Starts with a Great PD
Have you hired new employees only to find that they don’t have the skills or experience for the role? That they don’t...
The Importance of Traffic Management
An employee of a NSW waste transfer station was fatally injured after being hit and reversed over by a company front...
Casual Conversion Obligations and Employee Requests
Employer casual conversion obligations differ dependent upon business size, and it is important that you know what is...
Can an Employer Refuse an Unpaid Leave Request?
A question that troubles many employers, ‘is it okay to deny an unpaid leave request?’ There is no one simple answer...
What Employers NEED To Know This Christmas Season: Work Social Events
As the festive season nears, many businesses are organising social work events to celebrate another year of hard work...
Changes to Fixed Term Contracts
Are fixed term contracts negatively impacting job security and wages? This is a current conversation within political...
Are You Prepared? Upcoming Changes to the Childrens Services Award
In response to the Fair Work Commissions 4 Yearly Modern Award review, upcoming changes have been determined for...
Health and Safety Obligations within a Contractual Chain
A contractual chain is the circumstance in which multiple contractors and sub-contractors are apart of the same...
Australia’s Next Step Towards Respect@Work
Are you aware of the ongoing changes being introduced to prevent sexual harassment and discrimination within the...
National Changes to Better Support Victims of Domestic Violence
On July 28 2022, the Fair Work Amendment Bill was introduced to Parliament, proposing changes to the National...
You Are Not Alone – Employee Burnout
According to the Employee Sentiment Report, 46% of employees experience workplace burnout, with this figure rising...
Have You Updated Annualised Wage Arrangements for Restaurant and Hospitality Employees?
All full-time employees working within Restaurant and Hospitality Awards, aside from Managerial/Hotel employees, will...
Changes to the Hair and Beauty Industry Award
All employees working under the Hair and Beauty Industry Award will see extensive changes in response to the 4 yearly...
Tasmanian Painter Dies Due to WHS Negligence
In August 2020, a sub-contractor of a Launceston painting and decorating company died a month after falling from a 3...
Employer Made to Pay Employee $150,000 Regarding Sexual Harassment Claims
A Victorian employer was recently found vicariously liable for workplace harassment, having to pay the affected...
Employer Casual Conversion Obligations
As of September 2021, legislation introduced new casual conversion laws, which requisites all employers to offer...
The Fair Work Ombudsman
The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) is an independent statuary agency created in response to the Fair Work Act (2009), to...
Changes to SCHADS Award for Part-Time Employees
All employers working under the SCHADS Award will see changes for part time employees, from the first pay period...
Employing Casuals – What you NEED to know
Businesses rely upon casual employees to help meet staffing needs, giving ultimate flexibility as employees fall ill...
Making Changes to Employee Roles
As a result of the pandemic we are seeing workplaces short staffed with many employees sick, applying for flexible...
Employee or Contractor?
As a business owner, it is your responsibility to know the capacity in which your employees work, ensuring that you...
The Importance of Exit Interviews
Exit Interviews are a cost-effective tool that can be utilised to gain an honest employee perspective of your business...
Employee Dismissed for Attending Anti-Vax Protest
A Melbourne employee was dismissed effective immediately, without notice, after attending an illegal anti-vaccination...
Employee Dismissed for Vaccinating
An employee of a church wellness clinic was dismissed after receiving the COVID-19 vaccination in October 2021. The...
Aggressive Conduct as Reasonable Grounds for Employee Dismissal
Do you have an employee who is consistently aggressive, easily angered, intimidating, and generally makes the work...
Converting Annual Leave to Sick Leave
Within the upcoming April holiday period fast approaching, many Tasmanians have booked annual leave with plans to...
Contract and Offsite Workers – Navigating Required Vaccination
The industry of your business may not be covered under a Public Health Order mandating vaccination, and you may have...
Costly Wage Errors
Across Australia, the Fair Work Ombudsman has been conducting surprise audits investigating employee wages and...
Pandemic Induced Mental Health Concerns
Work Safe Australia statistics state that $736 million dollars were paid in response to work related mental health...
Prepare Your Business for a COVID-19 Vaccinated Society
The Tasmanian State Government updated the COVID-19 Outbreak Management process in preparation of the reopening of...
Is the Grass Always Greener?
The greatest asset for any business is its people. Increasingly, good people are getting harder to find. ...
Overtime Increase for Hair and Beauty Award
Recent updates made to the Hair and Beauty Award, with changes to overtime entitlements for full time and part-time...
COVID -19 – What Businesses Need to Consider
As Tasmanian Borders have now opened to interstate visitors it is foreseeable...
Progress for Mandated Employee Vaccination
Recently a national employer enforced mandatory vaccination for its businesses in Victoria and Western Australia to...
The Covid Conundrum
Is it feasible, or even possible, for an Australian business to insist on a No Jab – No Job policy in their...
It Will Never Happen to Me…Right?
My business is too small to worry about. It is amazing how many times this crops up when we first visit a business to...
WHAT IS SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE WORKPLACE?
The Answer Is Not as Simple as You May Think. First let’s address the legal definition of sexual harassment, in this...
The Five “R’s” That Will Help You to Prevent Sexual Harassment in Your Workplace!
In the midst of the Harvey Weinstein investigations and the birth of the Me Too! Movement, the Australian Human...
FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN FOCUSES ON CLEANING UP
Recent Cases Have Highlighted some Worrying Trends FWO Focus for 2021/22 The Fair Work Ombudsman spoke recently...
WHEN EMPLOYMENT ENDS…
The parting of the ways The reasons that an employee leaves a business can be many and varied and, in the majority of...
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FAIR WORK AMENDMENT BILL PASSED INTO LAW
For the first time there is a definition of casual employment written into the Fair Work Act Over recent weeks the...
Genuine Redundancy, or Not Addressing the Issue: the importance of doing things right.
A recent case heard by the Fair Work Commission highlights clearly the importance of communication in the workplace...
Termination Of Employment | Notice & Procedure
Need to terminate someone’s employment? Find out how Assurance HR can help. Call 1800 577...
Jobkeeper 2.0: What you need to know
Need help making sense of Jobkeeper? Find out how Assurance HR can help. Call 1800 577 515As a...
The importance of keeping great records
Many small business owners aren’t aware that it’s a legal requirement for businesses to not only maintain accurate...
Focus on what you do best (outsource the rest)
Bookkeeper. HR specialist. Graphic designer. Copywriter. Marketing guru. Manager. Often as a small business owner,...
Grow your best asset: people
It’s easy to get so focused on what your business does that you forget about one of the biggest and best assets you...
Performance Management: Best practice from start to finish
Aside from the actual work you do, people will always be the backbone of any business. Managing people and getting the...
Probationary periods: why they’re useful
Mistakes happen sometimes. The person we thought was by far the best candidate for the role can sometimes not be the...
Addressing performance
You want to be the best in your industry and stay competitive. The best way to do this is to make sure all your...
Misconduct and serious misconduct
Need assistance in dealing with misconduct?Find out how Assurance HR can help. Call 1800 577 515 Misconduct...
Dismissal, and keeping it fair
As Australians, we pride ourselves on our culture of “a fair go”, and that extends to the legal structure around...
Redundancy rates unpacked
At times, for a variety of reasons, from downturn or closure, restructuring, or changing technology, certain jobs are...
What to expect in an unfair dismissal case
In our last series, we discussed varying aspects around managing staff well, performance, and protecting yourself...
Why a claim may be lodged against you
Letting go of an employee is a big decision and not one to be taken lightly. An employee has the right to lodge an...
Unfair dismissal next step: conciliation
If an unfair dismissal claim is lodged against you as an employer, the next step is for you to respond to the claim....
The end of proceedings
As we’ve said previously, every unfair dismissal case is unique, and every story is a different one. The possible...
What to expect at a hearing
An unfair dismissal hearing (or a determinative conference) is the final step...
Family and Domestic Violence leave
Domestic violence is a horrible situation and a very real one for millions of Australians. Examples of domestic...
Carer’s leave
Dealing with employees' and carers’ leave can be tricky. At times it’s a simple situation, “my kid has a cold and...
What Are The Steps in a Redundancy?
Need to make an employee redundant? Find out how Assurance HR can help. Call 1800 577 515 If you are...
Why Is a Return to Work Audit essential as rules are relaxed?
As businesses start to relax after COVID-19 restrictions and employees return to work, businesses need to conduct...
The Importance of Toolbox Meetings
Regardless of what industry you find yourself in, regular toolbox meetings can be an integral part of communication at...
Fair Work Commission announces 2020 Minimum Wage increase
In big news affecting many employers across the country, the Fair Work Commission (FWC) last week voted to increase...
Returning to Work after shut-down
If we haven’t said it enough already, what a year it’s been! So many changes to keep up within the workplace, so many...
Returning to work part 2: Coming back from Stand-down
With businesses across the country needing to shut their doors temporarily during the first part of the year a large...
Returning to Work part 1: What do I need to do to keep my employees (and customers) safe?
Wherever you are in Australia you’ll have to abide by your state or territory’s restrictions. You might be living...
Why Do We Need Employment Contracts?
Employment contracts are the backbone of healthy employer/employee relationships. They spell out the conditions of the...
Why do we need Job Descriptions?
Have you ever tried making a complicated meal without a recipe? Sometimes you might get a winner, other times it might...
Why Do We Need Tailored Workplace Policies?
Like car insurance, a dedicated savings account, or decent wet-weather gear, workplace policies are the business...
Breaking – Another death-blow to casual employment
If you currently employ casual staff or are looking at doing so, this week’s landmark ruling from the Federal Court is...
Temporary Award changes
Recently Fair Work has made changes to the Clerks – Private Sector Modern Award. These changes are to assist...
Breaking – Changes to 80 modern Awards are coming
The Fair Work Commission has released a statement proposing to vary 80 modern awards to Provide up to 2 weeks unpaid...
Fair Work Act Amendments & JobKeeper Subsidy
Things have changed—again—and if your business is accessing the Jobkeeper wage subsidy it’s important to keep on top...
Change in Annual Salary Agreements
Do you employ staff on annual salaries? If yes, important legislation is now in place that affects you. Make sure...
How the Coronavirus affects your workplace
The Coronavirus, or COVID-19, has dominated the media over the past couple of weeks, and it has far-reaching...
Paid or unpaid leave
Since the outbreak of COVID–19 we have fielded a lot of calls regarding leave and if it has changed any leave...
Working From Home–Is There An Issue?
In this new season of pandemic, we have an unprecedented rise of people needing to or asking to work from home. What...
Can I Stand Down My Employees?
One of the most common questions our team is being asked at the moment is “can I stand down employees?” If there’s no...
Telstra Sales Rep who sold mobile phones ‘on the side’ was not unfairly dismissed.
A Telstra sales representative with 14 years of service was dismissed for having a side business selling mobile...
Can you recoup training costs from your employees?
We all understand that training and developing employees is a necessary cost of running a business. The cost depends...
3 Tips to combat absenteeism in your workplace
Did you know that ‘rewarding’ good attendance was previously considered a commonplace solution for absenteeism? Due to...
Employee who tried to justify ‘fat shaming’ was not unfairly dismissed, the court found.
The story begins with a Manager and employee working together on the 26th of May 2018. A discussion was had between...
Caravan park groundsman wins unfair dismissal case in unusual circumstances
Imagine yourself in this situation – an employee invades your privacy by entering your personal residence in the...
8 Recruitment strategies often missed on your hunt for a stand-out employee
Star performers can be a real game-changer, and an employee with a stellar work ethic, outstanding business acumen,...
Fire Safety
Operating a business is very time consuming and ensuring your business is compliant with fire safety and all the Rules...
Test and Tag Electrical Equipment
Keeping your electrical equipment up to safety regulations standards can be difficult to maintain. In industries like...
What is sexual harassment in the Workplace
The Answer Is Not as Simple as You May Think. First let’s address the legal definition of sexual harassment, in this...
It Will Never Happen to Me…Right?
My business is too small to worry about. It is amazing how many times this crops up when we first visit a...