Why Businesses Need Pre-Employment Medicals & Fitness for Work AssessmentsSecuring the ideal candidate extends...
Human Resources Articles
Fair Work Discipline: Legal Business Protection
Why Following Fair Work’s Disciplinary Process Matters for Your BusinessHandling workplace disciplinary matters is,...
Improve Workplace Culture: Expert AHR Solutions
Turning Workplace Culture Around: How AHR Can Assist Effectively improving workplace culture demands strategic...
Exit Interviews: Their Importance
Why an External Provider Like AHR is Your Best Choice Many businesses overlook the power of exit interviews. However,...
Workplace Mediation Small Business Guide
How to Run a Mediation Meeting in a Small BusinessWorkplace mediation for small businesses is crucial for maintaining...
Wage Theft: A Criminal Offence Small Business Owners Can’t Afford to Ignore
Wage theft is no longer just a “mistake” or an administrative oversight—it’s a criminal offence. In Australia, the...
How to Develop KPIs and SMART Goals for Your Small Business
As a small business owner, you're likely familiar with the challenge of managing day-to-day operations while working...
How to Host a Safe and Enjoyable Work Christmas Party: A Guide for Small Businesses
As the festive season approaches, planning a work Christmas party is a wonderful way to show appreciation to your...
Consideration on the Treatment of Casual Employees in the Workplace
The relationship between employers and casual employees is a significant aspect of the modern workforce....
Navigating the Path from Fixed-Term to Permanent Employment
In a recent case brought before the Workplace Relations Tribunal, a dispute emerged between a dedicated worker and her...
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...
Types of Workplace Investigations and When to Use Them
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....
Conflict Management – An Essential Workplace Skill
Nobody likes conflict in the workplace. I’m sure that we’ve all experienced one at some point, whether we were...
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...
Back to the Office…Or Not?
It has been impossible to ignore the rising trend of working from home in recent years. It’s a work model that has...
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...
Flexible Work Update from the FWC
The Fair Work Commission (FWC) has implemented its first amendment to the flexible working arrangement provisions of...
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,...
Selecting an Ideal Candidate when Recruiting
The Recruitment Series - Week 4 We at AHR take recruitment seriously. Over the past few weeks, we've been discussing...
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...
Best Practice during the Interview Process
The Recruitment Series - Week 3 We at AHR take recruitment seriously. Over the past few weeks, we've been discussing...
“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...
Benefits of a Job Analysis
The Recruitment Series - Week 2 We at AHR take recruitment seriously. Over the next few weeks, we're going to discuss...
Navigating Workplace Relationships
Strategies for Reducing Stress and Anxiety Workplace relationships can be complex and challenging, often affecting our...
Benefits of Best Hiring Practice
The Recruitment Series - Week 1 We at AHR take recruitment very seriously. Over the next few weeks, we're going to...
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...
Hiring Processes are Evolving for the Modern Business
Recruitment can be an intimidating process at the best of times. In recent years, hiring managers everywhere have been...
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...
The Future is Bringing Change to the HR Space
Preparing for the future in HR Management. But it's not about cutting the...
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...
Crafting Effective Responses to Gender Pay Gap Data
As the WGEA prepares to unveil its inaugural gender pay gap figures, Pure Public Relations MD, Phoebe Netto,...
Exploring the Landscape of Industrial Manslaughter Legislation Across Australia
In light of a concerning rise in workplace fatalities, it's imperative for employers to stay abreast of developments...
Empowering Workplace Delegates: Understanding New Protections
In December 2023, Australia witnessed a significant overhaul in workplace regulations with the introduction of new...
Can an Employment Relationship Exist Without a Written Contract?
In the ever-evolving realm of employment law, recent rulings by the Fair Work Commission (FWC) have ignited...
Employee Assistance Programs: What Are They and Does My Business Need One?
In the modern workplace, fostering a supportive environment for employees is crucial not only for productivity but...
Understanding the New Protections: A Guide for Small Business Owners
As of December 15, 2023, significant changes have been made to the Fair Work Act, impacting how businesses handle...
Wage Equality and Union Empowerment
The Federal Government has recently enacted its third wave of pivotal IR reforms under the Fair Work Legislation...
Revolutionising Road Transport: A Breakdown of Recent Legislative Changes
The Australian Federal Government has recently enacted significant reforms through the Fair Work Legislation Amendment...
Employees’ Right to Disconnect: Navigating the New Legislation
Understanding the Implications for Businesses In a significant move aimed at addressing modern workplace dynamics, the...
Casuals and Contractors: Unpacking the Latest Legislative Changes
Insights into the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes) Bill No 2 2024 The Fair Work Legislation...
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...
Employee Reinstated After Dismissal for Misconduct
Earlier this year a machine operator from an Australian Company was terminated after ‘supposed’ substantiated grounds...
Hiring – Where Do I Start?
Today’s hiring market has become increasingly competitive as the amount of job vacancies continues to rise. According...
Paid FDVL Now in Effect
The following article discusses Family and Domestic Violence Leave (FDVL) and may be found as confronting or a trigger...
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...
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,...
Are You Handling FDVL Confidentially?
The following article discusses Family and Domestic Violence Leave (FDVL) and may be found as confronting or a trigger...
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...
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...
‘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...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Employing Casuals – What you NEED to know
Businesses rely upon casual employees to help meet staffing needs, giving ultimate flexibility as employees fall ill...
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...
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...
Is the Grass Always Greener?
The greatest asset for any business is its people. Increasingly, good people are getting harder to find. ...
The Covid Conundrum
Is it feasible, or even possible, for an Australian business to insist on a No Jab – No Job policy in their...
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...
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...
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....
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...
The Importance of Toolbox Meetings
Regardless of what industry you find yourself in, regular toolbox meetings can be an integral part of communication at...
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...
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...
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...
The difference between a Leader and a Manager
“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way.” John C Maxwell. Are you a leader or a manager?...
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...