Mediation following s-xual harassment complaints might be necessary to ensure employees understand appropriate behaviour and communication in the workplace, but it can be risky to force parties to be involved, an investigations specialist warns.
The Fair Work Ombudsman is taking an employer to court for pregnancy discrimination, HR job ads increase, employers celebrate Harmony Day today, and more.
An employer's decision to dismiss a worker for "extreme" online comments was valid and did not infringe his implied constitutional freedom of communication, a full Federal Court has ruled.
An employer was entitled to require a worker to attend a medical appointment with its choice of doctor, a Federal Court full bench has ruled in a long-running dispute.
Recent scandals involving executives being punished for secret affairs with subordinates shouldn't have employers rushing to police or penalise all workplace romances, according to a lawyer.
Doctors rarely elaborate on questions by choice, so if employers want detail from an independent medical examiner's report they should be prepared to work for it, a lawyer says.
An organisation's "sensible" dismissal of a long-serving employee who breached its drug and alcohol policy serves as a lesson for all employers, according to a workplace lawyer.
The Fair Work Commission has described as "perplexing" an HR manager's decision to continue a disciplinary meeting after an employee became emotional, and then sack her as she walked out the door.
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.
