Understanding how to interpret signs of deceit in employees - or prospective employees - can be valuable knowledge for HR professionals, says researcher and criminologist Dr David Craig.
Managing an under-performing employee requires a different process to managing one accused of misconduct, but some managers fail to recognise the distinction, says employment lawyer Amanda Harvey.
Many workplace policies make it hard for employers to investigate anonymous complaints, and should be redrafted, according to workplace investigator Lisa Klug.
The Fair Work Act's flexible work provisions have been in place for well over a year, but many managers still don't have a "proper grasp" of them, and base their decisions on misunderstandings and prejudices rather than fact, says Mills Oakley partner Luke Connolly.
In the two years since the Fair Work Act's adverse action provisions commenced there have only been a handful of court decisions, but employers shouldn't assume they are unlikely to face a claim, says employment lawyer Natalie Spark.
Justice in Australian workplaces is heavily skewed toward the employer, with "the system" largely inaccessible to most workers, says Harmers Workplace Lawyers chair, Michael Harmer.
Employers could be found vicariously liable for the way their customers and clients treat employees following recent changes to the Federal Sex Discrimination Act, says Workplace TrainWise managing director Karen Maher.
An HR manager has been fined in the Federal Magistrates Court, in a case that sends "a clear message" about HR's obligations to provide employment advice, says Hicksons partner Brad Swebeck.
One of the challenges employers face when it comes to age discrimination is that "you're always going to be discriminating against one age group or another", says Clayton Utz lawyer Stuart Pill.
Inviting an employee who is being retrenched to apply for another position does not constitute redeployment, and could mean the employer fails the Fair Work Act's "genuine redundancy" test, Kemp Strang lawyers told a recent breakfast briefing in Sydney.
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.
