As the introduction of the Fair Work Act approaches the six-month mark, HR Daily gives you a run-down of five recent bargaining rulings - and why they matter.
More than half of Australian workers don't currently feel able to negotiate pay with their employer, and less than half of those who do have taken action in the past year, according to the University of Sydney's Workplace Research Centre.
As the job market strengthens and inter-company movement increases, employers will be more likely to pursue litigation to guard their assets, predicts Harmers Workplace Lawyers partner Shana Schreier-Joffe.
With the holiday season approaching, employers need to beware that if they grant employees leave in advance there's a risk they won't be able to deduct it from the final pay packet, says DLA Phillips Fox senior associate Alex Manos.
Industries that use a lot of on-call workers are moving towards people management best practice, but there is still work to be done, says HR Centre strategist Katherine Graham.
The Australian Services Union hopes to raise the pay of community services workers by up to 30 per cent, in Fair Work Australia's first pay-equity test case.
The employers that will get the most benefit from enterprise bargaining negotiations under the new system are those that have a strong handle on the drivers of their business, and who embrace "new thinking and new skills", says workplace lawyer Chris Gardner.
Employers that restrict the influence executives have on their own pay packets can avoid being "tarred with the same brush" as organisations perceived as rewarding failed leaders, the Productivity Commission says, but it has rejected a push to cap executive pay and bonuses.
Changes to the 457-visa scheme are mostly in favour of 457 holders, and will disadvantage employers that have relied on on-the-job training, according to Acacia Immigration Australia director, Mark Webster.
Injury compensation costs employers an average $1100 per employee per year, but organisations can significantly reduce injuries - and hefty compo bills - with "inexpensive" pre-employment assessments and a "dedicated medical network", says occupational therapist Waqar Malik.
Costly legal disputes continue to highlight the many risks employers face when managing, disciplining, or dismissing employees while they are absent, injured or incapacitated. Attend this webinar for an up-to-date review of the legal framework applying to workplace absenteeism, injury and incapacity, and lessons from recent case law.
