Whether making one role redundant or hundreds, HR professionals have a crucial part to play in ensuring organisations meet their extensive legal obligations and avoid claims from current and ex-employees.
Watch this webcast to:
ensure redundancies are 'genuine' under the Fair Work Act;
understand employees' entitlements if positions are made redundant;
develop sound redundancy criteria that minimise legal risks;
fulfil consultation and redeployment obligations;
manage a safe internal 'paper trail' about decision-making;
handle interactions with unions; and
add real value to the C-suite by informing decision-makers about their obligations.
Businesses that use labour hire workers can reduce legal risks if they heed the lessons of a recent Fair Work Commission decision, which clarifies when a host will - and will not - be considered an employer, according to workplace lawyer Fiona Austin.
A small but important change to the Fair Work Act places extra hurdles around roster changes, and will affect most Australian employers, says Warwick Ryan of Swaab Attorneys.
An employer was right to sack a worker for making racist comments on a public two-way radio, despite the fact he had worked at the company for more than three decades and was under personal duress at the time, the Fair Work Commission has found.
The Fair Work Commission has upheld an employer's dismissal of a worker who refused to sign an acknowledgement he had undergone social media training, arguing it is inevitable social media policies go beyond purely an "at work" context.
Employers and particularly their HR departments could avoid the bulk of complaints about pregnancy discrimination through good communication with employees, according to a partner at Hicksons law firm.
Well-intending organisations risk unwittingly harming the cause of employment diversity if they don't invest time and expertise to help their new recruits beyond the starting line, according to a workplace strategy consultant.
Employers should view the Fair Work Commission's new anti-bullying laws as an opportunity, not a threat, according to lawyer Lesley Maclou, who says much of the publicity surrounding them is based on myths and misconceptions.
HR professionals who 'educate up' to senior executive level about commonly confused redundancy obligations can help organisations avoid costly payouts and media fallout, according to employment lawyer Murray Procter.
How does the new anti-bullying regime apply to your workplace, and how does it affect how you prevent and manage workplace bullying? Watch this webcast for best-practice tips and tools.
General protections claims are the fastest-growing category of applications in the Fair Work Commission, with reforms now underway to stem the tide. This webinar will discuss important developments in both procedural issues and case law.