This week's top HR stories in brief

The articles summarised below are accessible with a free subscription to HR Daily.

Many HR practitioners don't feel psychologically safe in their workplace, and perceive that very little tailored support is available, says Your Best You Coaching founder Louise Spinks. Despite being expected to deal with highly emotional employees and disputes, there's no support for HR practitioners who have experienced trauma in the workplace, her research shows.

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A new report highlights where HR skills are in greatest shortfall over the next six months, and details the top five HR-related jobs in demand nationally.

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Transformational leadership is becoming acutely critical due to the rate of change and disruption in workplaces, but many leaders remain 'transactional', according to management expert Mathew Donald. Too many leaders still have an outdated approach, focusing on "transactions, structures and performance, potentially spending too much effort on the day to day for the future ahead".

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An employee has convinced the Fair Work Commission an HR manager fabricated her dismissal after she took sick leave. The fact that such an unfair and procedurally flawed dismissal could occur in circumstances where the employer had an HR manager was "troubling indeed".

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An employer had a valid reason to retrench a manager as part of a restructure, but its "appalling" process transformed the redundancy into an unfair dismissal. The inappropriate manner in which the restructure and redeployment options were communicated "left much to be desired".

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The Fair Work Commission has rejected an employee's unfair dismissal appeal, accepting that his dishonesty and refusal to comply with reasonable directions warranted termination. He alleged that he was the victim of homophobic persecution, but the bench found this was "nothing more than another example of his blatant dishonesty."

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FWC orders reluctant employee back to office

An employee who has worked exclusively from home since the first COVID lockdowns has been ordered to return to the office once a fortnight, with the Fair Work Commission accepting the employer's arguments for requiring her attendance. more

1 July 2026: What's changing today (and what might lie ahead)

  • Warning on pay cycle changes, as Payday Super starts
  • How to comply with out-of-cycle super contributions
  • Paid parental leave increases to 26 weeks
  • Minimum wages, high-income threshold and compensation caps rise
  • Psychological injury compensation changes in NSW
  • Greens call for dedicated LGBTIQA+ Human Rights Commissioner
  • Laws starting, proposed, recommended and under review more