Mandatory drug and alcohol testing in construction and other dangerous industries is a "common sense" move that would make it easier for employers to meet their safety obligations, according to employment lawyer Tony Wood.
The Fair Work Commission has delivered an important decision on the rights of employers faced with uninformative medical certificates covering sick leave.
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.
In a highly individualistic world where "people's loyalty is to their social and professional networks as much as to any one organisation", employers will need to fundamentally redesign work processes and procedures to attract and engage staff, according to Hay Group HR experts.
HR professionals' duties under work, health and safety laws expose them to numerous personal legal risks, but certain steps can help them minimise these liabilities and avoid criminal penalties, according to safety and employment lawyer Fiona Austin.
The model Work Health and Safety laws now in force in most Australian jurisdictions place new duties on HR professionals, exposing them to areas of personal liability and other risks that can't be ignored. Watch this webcast to understand:
The extent of WHS duties for HR professionals under the model Act;
Who the law considers an "officer" and what their responsibilities entail;
Areas where HR professionals and other senior staff face personal liability risks;
Steps HR professionals can take to ensure decisions that affect safety are defensible;
HR's role in meeting consultation requirements to employees and others; and
Particular issues in relation to psychological injury risks.
Health interventions that get employees moving more and sitting less not only result in healthier workers, but a healthier bottom line - and according to the director of the UNSW Faculty of Medicine's Lifestyle Clinic Chris Tzarimas, some of the most effective initiatives are the simplest.
What steps can an employer take when a worker takes personal leave immediately after a performance management discussion? Can organisations ask employees with exhausted personal leave entitlements to see a doctor? Here, an employment lawyer answers these questions and more.
One of the most useful things HR professionals can do to improve gender equality is promote flexible working to male employees, according to speakers at a diversity debate last week.
HR departments too often fail to take a risk-management approach to decisions affecting people, exposing themselves to potential liability under the model work health and safety laws, according to safety and employment lawyer Fiona Austin.
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.
