A manager who bullied an apprentice and encouraged employees to join in has been fined and convicted. Meanwhile, new research outlines employers' pay rise intentions and what HR professionals can expect to earn; how former employees can damage recruitment efforts; what senior executives think of annual performance reviews; and why nearly half of HR professionals think their working life is too complicated.
An employer has been ordered to pay a psychologically injured employee $435k in damages, after a court of appeal found it was vicariously liable for a manager's belittling and harassing workplace behaviour.
The Fair Work Commission has rejected the findings of an HR manager's misconduct investigation after hearing she failed to interview key witnesses, including the accused employee.
Bullying investigations often uncover new allegations in the course of interviewing respondents, so employers must ensure they take steps to avoid "scope creep", an experienced investigator warns.
Employers with training and policies on domestic violence must go a step further and address the workplace practices that perpetuate gender inequality, or remain part of the problem, warns an expert.
Demand for soft skills in younger workers is dramatically increasing, but they are failing to keep up, a major report shows. Meanwhile, an inquiry has highlighted the cultural issues that can promote workplace bullying; technology is decreasing face-to-face interactions; the AFP says cybercriminals are targeting HR payroll systems; and more.
Workplace misconduct and bullying investigations involve the same processes and principles, but the "strict liability" applying to the latter imposes additional, more onerous considerations, according to an investigations expert.
An employee who was unfairly sacked for failing to attend a medical exam was not entitled to reinstatement, because his "bombardment" of emails to HR destroyed the employment relationship, the Fair Work Commission has found.
Some employers have successfully stepped up to the task of managing psychosocial safety, but in many other workplaces, initiatives are falling flat. Join us for an HR Daily webinar to understand what's holding back progress in this critical space and how to move forward.
