HR managers who are struggling to secure budget to achieve their goals should quantify the dollar cost of not executing their strategy, and present a business case from a risk perspective, says Aon Hewitt managing director of people risk, Robyn Perkins.
This year has been an exceptionally challenging one for HR professionals. The new anti-bullying jurisdiction kicked off; social media evolution outpaced the development of associated workplace policies and responses; and there was no shortage of new case law on everything from unfair dismissal to restraint clauses.
Employers can reduce the productivity losses associated with mental illness and improve employees' health through a five-step plan for mentally healthy workplaces, according to new research.
When 'risk' is brought up in an HR context, it usually involves workplace hazards or people practices that could lead to injury or lawsuits. But HR professionals should start viewing 'people risk' more broadly, according to Aon Hewitt's managing director of people risk, Robyn Perkins.
Certain leadership styles can increase workplace psychosocial risks, so employers must take this into account in leadership selection and performance management processes, argues a psychologist.
Ongoing pressure on businesses to do more with less is contributing to a rising number of employees coming to work while affected by physical or psychological ill health, warns a psychologist.
Emotional issues arising outside of work can have a massive impact on mental health in the workplace, so employers should create an environment where workers feel comfortable seeking help for them, according to counselling and training specialist Anastasia Massouras.
A shift away from the "sick note" and towards the "fit note" will be a win for both employers and employees, says the head of Melbourne healthcare business UHG, but employers need to negotiate to have greater involvement in the employee-doctor relationship.
The Fair Work Commission has delivered an important decision on the rights of employers faced with uninformative medical certificates covering sick leave.
More than half of the population will experience a mental illness at some stage in their lives, and most will choose to conceal it, so employers need to beware of performance-managing workers who are unwell, says Swinburne University of Technology's Doctor Mirella Romanella.
