Many organisations will find themselves without a pipeline of professional female talent if they don't take steps soon to mainstream flexibility, according to a panel of diversity experts.
A small but important change to the Fair Work Act places extra hurdles around roster changes, and will affect most Australian employers, says Warwick Ryan of Swaab Attorneys.
Allowing employees to work from home as well as the office can increase productivity and engagement, but instead of adopting a whole-of-company approach to introducing and managing telework, many employers are allowing it on an ad hoc basis, says expert Nina Sochon.
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.
Different time zones, isolated workers and productivity concerns can all be turned from challenges to advantages with some creative thinking, a conference heard this week.
Businesses that want to attract talent, foster engagement and encourage collaboration need to take a "flexible" approach to IT policies, according to a new report, which says "superior experiences" with technology at home are contributing to employee frustration at work.
One of the biggest barriers to successful telework arrangements is not the productivity of staff members working remotely, but their managers, says Macquarie University researcher Dr Yvette Blount.
Many practical and legal risks can arise when employees work from home or remotely, and not just from ongoing formal arrangements, but also occasional and after-hours work. Watch this webcast to understand how to assess whether an employee has a right to work remotely; understand the legal and practical issues arising from remote work; and more.
Employers tend to overlook their health and safety obligations to employees who work from home or other off-site areas, but it is neither difficult nor onerous to take the necessary compliance steps, says employment lawyer Kristin Duff.
Take-up of the right to request flexible work is low, but the requests are generally granted without variation, according to a new Fair Work Commission report.
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.
