A new Australian Standard of Employment Rights gives employers and workers a benchmark against which to measure the industrial relations health of their workplace, says University of Sydney professor of labour law, Ron McCallum.
Current HR development strategies are "hindering" and "damaging" businesses by failing to meet the 21st-century needs of employers and workers, a workplace consultant says.
Employers must move "beyond legislative compliance alone" to combat the growth of stress-driven compensation claims and injuries, according to Curtin University research.
Shifting towards a performance-focused work culture hinges on ditching traditional "narrow" job descriptions in favour of broader role descriptions linked to value-adding behaviour, says Winners At Work managing director Dr Tim Baker.
Employees whose requests for flexibility are only partially granted are as unlikely as workers whose requests are refused to improve their work/life balance and lessen "time strain", the third annual Australian Work and Life Index survey reveals.
Paid maternity leave increases the chances that new and expectant mums will remain "attached" to the workforce and quickly return to their pre-birth employers, according to researchers from Deakin University.
The main barrier to successful working-from-home arrangements is outdated attitudes about the need for "face time" at work, says HR advisor Jenny Roberts.
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.
