A ruling that it was unjust to dismiss a worker for "offensive, derogatory and discriminatory" posts about his managers highlights the critical importance of social media policies in the workplace, according to an employment lawyer.
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.
All employers should consider putting in place a workplace s-xual harassment prevention plan, even though such plans are only expressly prescribed in one jurisdiction, according to a risk management expert.
Recent events have shone a spotlight on whistleblowing, placing employers firmly on notice that their response to a protected disclosure could be subject to intense scrutiny. Watch this webcast to understand the role HR plays in this challenging space.
