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Missing in action: When is an employee considered to have abandoned their employment?
When an employee doesn’t show up to work and is unable to be contacted, termination seems like the next obvious step; however, acting hastily can result in the termination being overturned. Recently, ...
Read more Fumbling Procedural Fairness: The Risks of an Inadequate Investigation
When an employee behaves inappropriately, a quick termination may seem like a no-brainer. However, acting hastily can result in a finding of unfair dismissal if a proper process and procedural fairness is ...
Read more Closing Loopholes Bill No. 2 passes Parliament
Earlier this month, it was confirmed that both Houses of Parliament passed the second tranche of amendments to the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) under the Albanese Government’s Fair Work Legislation Amendment ...
Read more New regulations for fixed term contracts commence today
Utilising employees on a fixed term basis is an important tool for many businesses to undertake projects, cover long-term absences, and manage their workforce. However, as of 6 December 2023, new restrictions ...
Read more Preparing for peak season: Understanding ‘reasonable additional hours’
In the lead up to the peak retail trade season, employers may have additional hours on offer to staff during busy times. Importantly, beyond being aware of the applicable rates of pay ...
Read more Fair Work Commission announces review of retail and food service industry modern awards
In a further significant development in the industrial relations arena, the Fair Work Commission (the Commission) announced on Friday that it will be reviewing seven commonly used modern awards. The announcement follows ...
Read more Director personally liable for wage underpayments
In a timely reminder about wage compliance, the Fair Work Ombudsman has recently persuaded a court to hold a director personally liable for underpayments made to staff. This case serves as a ...
Read more Everyone has a role to play in preventing sexual harassment
Since the passage of the Anti-Discrimination and Human Rights Legislation Amendment (Respect at Work) Act 2022 (Act), employers have been grappling with how they can meet their duty to proactively prevent sexual ...
Read more The Importance of Prioritising Proper Performance Management
As a manager or human resources professional in the retail or quick service sectors, managing employee performance can easily fall by the wayside amongst the hustle and bustle of day-to-day operations. In ...
Read more Effective from today: Family and Domestic Violence Leave will apply to small businesses
The entitlement to 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave (FDV Leave) has now been extended to small business. Effective from 1 August 2023, small businesses must ensure that they ...
Read more Handling ‘Heat of the Moment’ Resignations
In the ordinary course of events, once an employee communicates their resignation to an employer, and the employer accepts the resignation, it is generally considered final, and the employee usually cannot retract ...
Read more Deadline for destruction of COVID-19 vaccination information in Victoria
Employers in Victoria have until 11 August 2023 to destroy any COVID-19 Vaccination information they have recorded or held under the Occupational Health and Safety Amendment (COVID-19 Vaccination Information) Regulations 2022 (the ...
Read more Engaging part-time employees: Perfecting Part-time
Of all employment types, part-time employment is the category with a notorious reputation for being inflexible and includes intricacies that, if not watched carefully, can catch employers out with unforeseen consequences. Consider ...
Read more Blackout periods and seasonal casuals: tips and tricks
While we may only be halfway through the year, it is generally time to start planning for seasonal periods and how to best cover increased staffing needs. The general solution businesses turn ...
Read more Important changes to workplace laws commencing on 1 July 2023
Minimum wage increase – The Fair Work Commission will raise the National Minimum Wage to $882.80 per week or $23.23 per hour, along with a 5.75% increase to minimum award wages. The new ...
Read more Abandonment of Employment: What to do when employees go missing in action
In the realm of workplace relations, the expression ‘abandonment of employment’ has become synonymous with situations whereby an employee abruptly ceases to attend work for an extended period of time, without a ...
Read more Managing the spread of illness in the workplace
As winter and the cold and flu season arrive, employers should be aware on how to appropriately manage employee absences. This article aims to provide practical insights and solutions to common questions, ...
Read more Deadlines for ‘Secure Jobs, Better Pay’ Amendment
Come Wednesday 7 June 2023, businesses will be expected to have adopted the changes relating to pay secrecy, flexible working arrangements and employee notification of zombie agreements as a part of the ...
Read more Top Tips For Effective Workplace Investigations
Workplace investigations can be timely and complex. From undertaking initial enquiries to undertaking witness interviews, it is important to ensure that a procedurally fair process is undertaken to maintain the integrity of ...
Read more Understanding work health and safety improvement notices
State workplace health and safety regulators have the power to issue improvement notices to businesses they believe have contravened, or are contravening, the State’s workplace health and safety legislation. It is important ...
Read more Leveraging leaders – Developing your internal talent pool
As the job market remains competitive and top talent hard to find, organisations are finding it more challenging to fill leadership positions with suitable candidates. Instead of looking to external sources, many ...
Read more On the Record – What are your record-keeping obligations?
As the federal government are undertaking consultations about criminalising underpayments of wages, which includes provisions for not keeping records or keeping false or inaccurate records, employers should be conscious of their record-keeping ...
Read more Common employer mistakes in the Fair Work Commission
If an employee has brought a claim, such as an unfair dismissal or general protections claim, employers are faced with the decision of attempting to defend the claim themselves or getting an ...
Read more The role of a support person in workplace investigations and disciplinary proceedings
As most business owners and HR professionals would be aware, the hallmark of any compliant workplace investigation or disciplinary proceeding is ensuring ‘procedural fairness’. Affording procedural fairness to an employee includes, among ...
Read more Psychosocial risks: What are your obligations?
As an employer, it is your responsibility to ensure the health and safety of your employees, not just in terms of physical health, but also in terms of mental health. An area ...
Read more Clothing and Laundry Allowances: What You Need To Know
In conjunction with many other allowances that employees may be entitled to, ‘special clothing’ and laundry allowances can be confusing and often overlooked by businesses. In many instances, employers fall into the ...
Read more Common Redundancy Pitfalls to Avoid
Redundancy is a complex process that requires careful consideration and planning. Redundancies can be difficult for both employers and employees, and if not managed properly, can result in negative outcomes such as ...
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