Contingent work is set to dominate other forms of employment, but will bring with it huge challenges for HR professionals, a conference heard this week.
The success of job-share arrangements at Freehills challenges perceptions about which types of work can be job-shared, and how flexibility can work at senior levels.
Leading cultural change demands strong focus, an unwavering determination and a willingness to be held accountable, says Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick.
The parental-leave process can be fraught with confusion and misunderstandings, but according to return-to-work expert Emma Walsh, employers can take simple, inexpensive steps to make the transitions easier for everyone.
More certainty around public holiday penalty rates, harmonised long-service leave provisions, and broader rights to request flexible work are among the recommendations of the Fair Work Act review's report. In this article, review panellist Ron McCallum outlines some of the key proposals that - if enacted - are likely to impact on employers.
Flexible work can be fraught with challenges if employees perceive that it's being offered on an unfair basis, but "mainstreaming" flexibility helps employers avoid many of these issues, according to a new paper from the Australian Institute of Management.
Monitoring and measuring the impact of work-life balance strategies has been a key factor in retaining and broadening support for them, says ABC's manager of diversity, Chrissie Tucker.
Running a pilot program to identify potential issues can help an organisation decide whether working from home arrangements should be made broadly available, says the manager of a team that now has two-thirds of its employees in home-based work, and much higher retention rates as a result.
A checklist of minimum safety and technical requirements for home-based work is essential to ensure the arrangements are trouble-free, and that employees understand their obligations and responsibilities.
Changing the language organisations use to describe flexible work will help remove some of the stigma that it is only for mothers, and allow it to become "mainstream", Diversity Council Australia says.
All employers should consider putting in place a workplace s-xual harassment prevention plan, even though such plans are only expressly prescribed in one jurisdiction, according to a risk management expert.
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.
