A Queensland employee who was sexually assaulted by a customer has been awarded almost $500,000 in damages after a court found her employer failed to address risks associated with working alone.
Managing workers on extended sick leave, or with long-term injuries, requires carefully balancing business needs against employees' rights, says employment lawyer Luke Connolly.
Interview questions about a candidate's fitness for work must be clearly linked to the relevant statement of duties, says Blake Dawson employment lawyer Stephen Woodbury.
Initiatives that encourage employees to be proactive about their health are commonplace, but financial wellbeing, which can also affect performance, is still widely overlooked, says Innergi co-founder Matt Linnert.
HR managers could be found personally liable for bullying and harassment at work, under the national OHS framework, if they fail to take steps to prevent it, according to Hicksons Lawyers partner Brad Swebeck.
The world's best managers view the growth of employees as an end, not a means, and take responsibility for their people's wellbeing, according Gallup researchers Jim Harter and Tom Rath.
One in five Australian adults experiences mental health problems each year, but nearly half of all senior managers do not believe their workers will be affected, according to the Australian Human Rights Commission.
Australia's "anti-dobbing" culture can obstruct efforts to eradicate workplace bullying and create a "huge problem" for employers, says general counsel for Harmers Workplace Lawyers, Greg Robertson.
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.
