The days of tolerating wolf-whistles in the workplace are over, but according to psychologist Dr Jennifer Loh, employers need to beware of a far more subtle - but equally destructive - form of discrimination.
Two organisations have avoided being found vicariously liable for s-xual harassment committed by employees, after proving they had taken reasonable steps to prevent and manage the incidents.
It's time for HR professionals to get over any embarrassment they feel about discussing gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employment issues, says former High Court judge Michael Kirby.
Not enough employers are conducting the workplace audits necessary to prevent and manage bullying, says People and Culture Strategies managing principal Joydeep Hor.
Organisations seeking to avoid sexual harassment scandals should rely not on policy or procedure to change their culture, but on the behaviour of their leaders, says Professor Julie Zetler of the Faculty of Business and Economics at Macquarie University.
Most HR policies fail to deal with modern bullying, discrimination and harassment challenges - including after-hours misconduct and misuse of social networks - says workplace lawyer Brad Swebeck.
Employers can significantly reduce the risk of a psychological injury claim if they practise eight important steps, say Hicksons employment lawyers Brad Swebeck and Stewart Cameron.
Most HR policies fail to deal with modern bullying, discrimination and harassment challenges - including after-hours misconduct and misuse of social networks - says workplace lawyer Brad Swebeck.
In this presentation, he and fellow Hicksons Lawyers partner Stewart Cameron outline:
How to detect, prevent and manage bullying, discrimination and harassment;
New psychological injury risks posed by misuse of social networks/media;
What to include in bullying and harassment policies;
Your rights and responsibilities when managing employees' out-of-hours behaviour;
Appropriate responses to employee complaints;
Lessons to be learned from successful claims brought against employers;
How to defend spurious claims;
How to avoid claims arising from performance management; and
HR managers' liability for psychological injury under the existing and new OHS national framework.
In an important ruling for employers, a tribunal has cleared an organisation of vicarious liability for sexual harassment, finding that it took "all reasonable steps" to prevent the behaviour from occurring.
Dealing with the facts of workplace complaints, rather than the "labels" given to behaviour, helps to resolve potential bullying issues quickly, says senior HR practitioner and employment lawyer, Nicole Gower.
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.
