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.
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 […]
It is unlikely you have not heard about the reforms to whistleblower legislation in Australia (more specifically the Treasury Laws Amendment (Enhancing Whistleblower Protections) Bill 2018) which has been widely spoken and written about in the media for some time now. The amendment is due to be approved by the House of Representatives during the […]
How do you feel when holidays are over and it’s time to return to work? A) Are you refreshed, reinvigorated and bursting with enthusiasm as you clock on in the new year? B) Do you so love holidays that the thought of returning to work fills you with fear and loathing? Or; C) Do you […]
Planning an office move is a major exercise in logistics. But more importantly, moving can also create significant stress and anxiety amongst staff worried about the potential impact of this change on their daily working lives, impacting productivity. So, how does a group of workplace experts approach an office move? Read on to find out… […]
It can be tricky working out what and when to tell a potential respondent about a complaint or allegations of inappropriate behaviour made against them, before a workplace investigation has commenced. First and foremost – health and safety! In considering how best to tackle any complaint, ensuring the health and safety of your employees is […]
As 2019 begins and we think of our hopes for Australian workplaces, top of our minds is accountability for delivering results according to our values and behavioural standards. 2019 – The Year of Accountability? In the news, there are calls for accountability of the builders of a cracking high rise building in Sydney. Member of […]
A tongue-in-cheek look at the menu that 2018 has served up to us! The gravy train The banks and insurance companies get the 2018 Gravy Boat Award. Billing dead customers, selling worthless policies and taking large commissions and bonuses for their efforts. What should we learn? Financial incentive schemes […]
In this week’s blog, we discuss the recent lessons to be learnt from the following successful unfair dismissal application to the Fair Work Commission: Kefeng Deng v Westpac Banking Corporation (U2018/5696). The decision was delivered on 30 November 2018, by Commissioner Riordan. The case: Deng v Westpac The context for the application to the Fair […]
Nepotism is about the use of power or influence to secure unfair workplace advantage in the workplace for members of one’s own family or close friends. This is what it can look like in a workplace: Employees are married to each other, or to a colleague’s sibling, child or parent. A senior staff member’s child […]