Imminent changes to the 457-visa system will create more work for HR in terms of establishing the "genuineness" of their need for overseas workers, according to employment lawyer Fiona Inverarity.
Managing long-term absent employees requires a cautious and proactive approach, or employers risk facing claims involving the whole gamut of employment law.
Watch this webcast to understand how to:
manage prolonged absences from work;
identify the 'inherent requirements' of a position;
consider 'reasonable adjustments';
ensure compliance with the proposed amendments to Commonwealth anti-discrimination laws;
determine what material to provide in an independent medical assessment;
return employees to work on suitable duties; and
evaluate relevant legal risks before a termination of employment.
The indicators employers need to report against under the Workplace Gender Equality Act include information that many organisations don't yet capture, and might have to create systems for, according to Ashurst lawyers Michael Tamvakologos and Melissa Bulat.
Contractors make up part of nearly every employer's workforce, but understanding your responsibilities in this area and maintaining first-rate safety standards can be tough.
This webcast covers:
How to ensure contractor compliance;
Your OHS obligations to different kinds of contractors;
Harmonisation - consultation obligations and other changes;
Employers should carefully monitor and manage how much discretionary sick leave they provide to employees following an injury or illness, according to employment lawyer Helen Donovan.
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.
In the lead-up to July's superannuation changes, some employers face a "tough communication exercise" in explaining to employees that their base salary will drop, while others need to consider how they will fund the higher contributions, according to a reward specialist.
The dispute between Qantas and unions that led to the grounding of its fleet in 2011 has only been resolved "in theory", and is evidence that Australia's industrial relations system is ineffective and out-dated, says Macquarie University professor Paul Gollan.
Employee claims under the Fair Work Act are increasingly targeting individuals, so HR practitioners should ensure they help directors and officers to understand their potential liability, says employment lawyer Ben Gee.
Employers will need to be more vigilant about checking the visa status of their workers, with new legislation making it much easier for the government to prosecute non-compliant companies, according to an immigration law specialist.
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.
