Leaders who spent 2024 "marching to the beat of the compliance drum" might realise they turned down the volume on a chorus of workplace issues, but they can tune back in for greater harmony next year, a people and change specialist says.
In rejecting an employee's appeal over his failed unfair dismissal claim, the Fair Work Commission has reinforced that it does not have to make general enquiries into workplace conduct or culture to conduct a fair hearing.
An important High Court challenge regarding the scope of employers' redeployment obligations during restructures will be a key case to watch in the coming year, lawyers say.
Gaps in employee collaboration, skill requirements, and technology are thwarting a much-needed "reset" after the pandemic, but HR can close them with a few simple steps.
A Fair Work Commission member was entitled to find an employer "misheard" a worker resign after a heated workplace argument, and her award of maximum compensation should stand, a full bench has ruled.
Employers are increasingly consulting psychologists ahead of terminations with a view to preventing psychosocial harm during the process, and it can "absolutely" work, according to a safety specialist.
In finding today that the risk of an employee's psychiatric injury was a "serious possibility" after his botched dismissal process, the High Court has nonetheless determined not to rule on whether employers' duty of care extends to disciplinary and termination events.
The High Court has restored a $1.44 million damages award to an employee who had a "catastrophic" reaction to his misconduct dismissal, with the majority ruling that when the employer didn't follow its disciplinary policy, it breached the worker's contract.
A leader whose meeting about Christmas party conduct has gone viral has been praised as "refreshingly authentic", while some of his comments raise "red flags".
HR "can't just be consulting" when it comes to workplace change; it needs to be leading, a people experience specialist says. Meanwhile employers should expect unfinished projects to be "the norm" at the end of the year, research shows.
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.
