The High Court's WorkPac ruling ends employers' uncertainty over class actions and reinforces the importance of setting clear expectations when employing casuals, a workplace lawyer says.
The High Court has put an end to the "turbulent" case law involving casual employment for the past few years, in overturning a ruling that a casual should have received permanent employee entitlements.
An organisation that secured an employee an alternative job could not reduce her redundancy entitlement because lower pay meant the role wasn't "acceptable".
An employee's unfair dismissal claim can proceed after the Fair Work Commission found her resignation and subsequent re-employment as a casual five days later didn't break her continuous service.
Employers were already juggling "a lot of moving parts" in keeping dispersed employees engaged and mentally healthy, but lockdowns are compounding the challenges, an expert says.
The Fair Work Commission has declined to issue orders preventing an employee's dismissal until his stop-bullying application is determined, finding this would likely circumvent his employer's reasonable disciplinary action.
Career transitions have the greatest chance of success when employees view their work and personal lives holistically, research into large-scale outplacements 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.
