Practical insights on resolving workplace complaints and creating a positive culture at work. Please note that the information in these posts is general in nature, and you should always seek specific advice that takes into account each unique situation.
It is standard for workplace investigations to be documented in a written investigation report. There are many good reasons for doing so. A well-structured, logical and comprehensively written report will record: What the investigation process was, and in doing so demonstrates that it was a fair and rigorous process; The evidence that the investigator collected […]
Sexual harassment in the workplace remains an ongoing issue. The continuing durability of #MeToo and high-profile sexual harassment claims from women in media, entertainment and politics are a sign that employers still have significant work to do in acknowledging and addressing sexual harassment. In the fourth national workplace sexual harassment survey by the Australian Human Rights Commission, one […]
Sadly, many of us have first-hand experience of toxic behavior in the workplace. In 2016 research by Dr Lindsay McMillan, 50% of respondents said they had experienced serious incidents of conflict or negative conduct at work,14% of workers described their workplace environment as ‘toxic’, while 20% had experienced major problems in communication with a co-worker or boss. […]
When conducting a workplace investigation, there is often pressure on an investigator to move quickly from allegation to findings. Some of these factors are entirely appropriate: a well-run, timely investigation without unexplained delays is key to minimising any potential harmful impacts on the participants in the investigation and the organisation as a whole. Sometimes though, […]
We’ve all been there. Stuck in tedious, mandatory staff training sessions on appropriate workplace behaviour or organisational values, where everyone (including the trainer) is just going through the motions in order to tick off policy compliance. If you are the well-intentioned organiser of this type of training and have had your program roundly disparaged across […]
This coming Friday is 2019 National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence (NDA). This year’s theme is Bullying. No Way! Take action every day. The program encourages schools and students to explore how they can take steps to minimise the impact of bullying on the school community. Whilst the primary focus of the National […]
Healthy organisations always want to hear from employees with a problem. Whether the problem is an ongoing personal gripe, an incidence of bullying or a case of suspected fraud, sensible management would much prefer to have the opportunity to address the issue in its earliest stages rather than let it fester and grow in potentially […]
In theory at least, power is a neutral concept. It can be used for good or ill. The word however tends to be associated with aggressive misuse such as: over powering or standing over those lower down the heirarchy , taking up more space, physical or verbal, than fair sharing would dictate, seeking or accepting […]
Employers often struggle with the ‘he said/she said’ form of workplace complaint. The complainant says the allegation happened. The respondent flatly denies it. No one else was in the room at the time. Now what? Our clients are often confused about what to do when a complaint is made about behaviour in the workplace that […]
Current studies suggest that most adults, ideally, should get between 7 and 9 hours of solid sleep per night. The cost of bad sleep has a real impact on the community, so much so that, the federal government recently launched a parliamentary enquiry into sleep health awareness. In today’s post, Grevis Beard shares his insights […]