When it comes to managing the psychosocial hazard of job demands, employers must ensure they consider not just the amount of work but also how work is structured, according to a risk management specialist.
There was no reasonable basis for an employee to believe he was being bullied; rather, he sought to "entrench" himself as a victim, the Fair Work Commission has found in refusing to issue stop-bullying orders.
Accusing an employee of misconduct and issuing her a warning, in circumstances which at their highest pointed to an inadvertent breach, was not reasonable administrative action, a tribunal has found.
Despite receiving HR advice about how to handle a redundancy meeting, an employer gave a long-serving manager no prior notice of its decision and no opportunity to bring a support person, among other factors found to be unreasonable.
Hopes that a new employee would "hit the ground running" did not materialise, and prompted numerous workplace issues that ultimately caused her psychological injury, a commission has ruled.
An investigation into an employee's alleged "improper behaviour" did not align with the employer's own respectful workplace policy and was therefore "inadequate, flawed and unfair", a commission has ruled.
An absence of workplace bullying reports did not mean an employer wasn't aware of the conduct, a court has found, in awarding an employee more than $950k in damages for a psychiatric injury.
"Reasonable schemes reasonably implemented can miscarry without rendering them unreasonable," a commissioner has stressed, in rejecting the psychological injury claim of an employee who had a "troubling propensity for embellishment".
An employee suffered a psychological injury after the breakdown of a workplace friendship group, but his employer wasn't liable for it, a commission has ruled.
Implementing a support plan, holding frequent meetings and providing performance feedback from multiple people were all reasonable actions, a commission has ruled in a dispute over liability for an employee's psychological injury.
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.
After years of legislative and regulatory changes, employers' key compliance challenges continue to shift and evolve. Attend this webinar to catch up on recent developments and their HR implications, preparing you and your organisation for what lies ahead.
