In the wake of Pauline Hanson's divisive comments this week, a DEI leader is calling for respect and inclusion, and a lawyer flags potential workplace relations implications.
Employers' imminent obligation to align employees' super and wage payments could significantly add to HR's compliance and communication workload, a specialist says.
Conciliation conferences have become less about hearing both sides of a dispute and much more focused on offers, so amendments designed to reduce the Fair Work Commission's workload should also be positive for employers, a workplace lawyer says.
The Fair Work Commission will be able to resolve disputes about whether an employee has been dismissed without conducting a hearing, under proposed changes to the Fair Work Act.
Proposals to insert "clearer, and in some contexts prioritised, protections based on biological s-x" in discrimination laws would add a further layer of complexity to employers' obligations in this space, according to a workplace lawyer.
The public interest test poses a "very significant threshold" for employers to meet when they're seeking to appeal a Fair Work Commission decision, a lawyer says.
A major review has largely rejected arguments that the Closing Loopholes reforms have had "unintended consequences" for employers, however it recommends that clearer guidance should be developed as a priority, to reduce uncertainty and complexity.
A recent general protections claim demonstrates that race discrimination laws are "intended to be read broadly and generously", a workplace lawyer says.
Workplace bullying complaints continue to pose significant challenges for employers, including where the behaviour doesn't meet the legal definition of bullying or the threshold to make a claim. Watch this HR Daily Premium webcast to understand key lessons from cases where bullying complaints interact with other claims and issues.
What constitutes "best practice" when managing neurodiversity at work is evolving all the time. Watch this HR Daily Premium webcast to learn how to embed neuroinclusive practices into HR programs and every stage of the employment lifecycle.
