Employers that fail to properly investigate workplace issues and complaints before taking action risk falling foul of the Fair Work Act's procedural fairness requirements, says workplace lawyer Brad Petley.
2010 was an interesting year for HR professionals - the economy was in recovery-mode, but this brought with it the challenge of how to quickly boost depleted teams and motivate disengaged staff to better performance. The remaining provisions of the Fair Work Act came into effect, adding a whole layer of uncertainty to HR's responsibilities, along with new legal risks.
Manipulative employees - who are charming one day and malicious the next - are the worst kind of bully, but few HR managers have the skills to identify or control them, says conflict-resolution expert and Casey Centre CEO Dr Mary Casey.
What should you do when an employee doesn't want a bullying allegation investigated? How prescriptive should your Christmas party memos be? What role should senior leaders take at celebrations? Lawyer Joydeep Hor answers these questions and more.
A Sydney worker who defied an instruction from his supervisor has failed to convince Fair Work Australia his conduct did not warrant dismissal because of his supervisor's rude, bullying tone.
How do you manage employees who have been injured outside of work? What happens when an employee refuses an independent medical assessment? When is it safe to terminate an ill or injured employee? Lawyer Luke Connolly answers these questions and more on this important topic.
For managers, the office Christmas party is work - an opportunity to reinforce a culture of engagement - not time to let their hair down, says leadership expert Stephen Bell.
A worker can't be dismissed for bullying, intimidation and harassment without evidence to support the claim, but from an OHS perspective, suspicion alone should trigger an employer's duty of care obligations, says Norton Rose partner Barry Sherriff.
Employers must start grappling with "real issues" - including social media and out-of-hours conduct - if they want to avoid claims arising from employees' inappropriate behaviour, says workplace lawyer Joydeep Hor.
Cascading restraint-of-trade clauses have traditionally been difficult to enforce, but a recent judgment clarifies the circumstances in which employers can rely on them to protect their interests, says Lander & Rogers lawyers Mark Sullivan and Aaron Goonrey.
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.
