Preparing for the new IR regime gives employers the perfect opportunity to review and improve their performance-management processes - ensuring sustainability and protecting them from litigation, according to an employment lawyer.
Employers are taking steps to have new enterprise agreements approved as soon as possible to avoid the uncertainty that is likely to surround the better off overall test, or BOOT, when it comes into effect in January next year.
Many employers will be faced with a new battle to retain their best workers after the Federal Government announced plans to invest $22 billion of its 2009/10 budget in the nation's infrastructure, says Hewitt's Australia and New Zealand managing director, David Brown.
Under the paid parental leave (PPL) scheme set to start in 2011, employers will be pre-paid employees' entitlements to "avoid cash flow pressures", the federal government revealed in last night's budget announcements.
Employers can expect a sharp increase in requests for alternative working arrangements as new legislation aimed at employees with young kids "formalises" and "normalises" flexibility across the board, according to employment lawyer and consultant, Juliet Bourke.
Managers looking to implement alternative working arrangements in a bid to avoid sacking staff throughout the GFC are at risk of exposing themselves to litigation if they fail to adequately consult, a workplace lawyer warns.
Australian HR departments are struggling to meet the challenges created by recession-driven cost-cutting with fewer resources and less control over decision-making, a new study confirms.
More than half of employees in the Australian finance profession have had to take on extra tasks after staff cuts, but employers are failing to put in place countering work/life balance initiatives, a survey has found.
"New entrant" airlines investing heavily in employee development and resisting the urge to "slash and burn" their workforce during economic slumps are outperforming the industry giants, says a new book on the flight trade.
Employers that underestimate the proficiency of trade unions and neglect to do their homework in the lead up to enterprise-agreement negotiations are unlikely to "exert control" at the bargaining table, says Deacons partner Martin Osborne.
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.
