by Rob Sheppard [Approx 4 min read] Feedback. It’s a constant presence in our lives, shaping our actions and influencing our growth. Whether it’s a pat on the back for a job well done, a colleague’s subtle eye roll or a formal annual review you are managing for your team, you’re part of the feedback loop. There is a growing awareness of the impact that interpersonal communication has on relationships in the workplace – and an understanding of the importance …
by Rob Sheppard [Approx 4 min read] With the growth of large-scale enterprises in the late 18th and 19th centuries, it became evident that large scale [and standardised] practices were needed to help manage ‘human resources’. One of these practices was a dedicated approach to setting wages and conditions – which also helped mirror the economic landscapes of the business world at the time. In a post Covid business world, a well-designed remuneration strategy goes beyond simply setting wages and …
by Karen Felton [Approx 3 min read] As Hr and recruitment specialists, we are well placed to observe the emerging trends impacting recruitment and selection through the perspectives of our candidates and clients. A key trend we have been observing is well known to most in a post-COVID business world – a persistent focus from applicants on the importance of workplace flexibility. No so well documented is the impact of a positive company culture. In talking with my Hr colleagues …
by Rob Sheppard [Approx 3.5 min read] Does your workplace experience heavy workloads, have unclear roles for its people or little to no communication between managers, teams and individuals? If it does, then we just identified some of the criteria to suggest you have ‘psychosocial hazards’ in the workplace. In this article, we’ll expand on last month’s article [Right to Disconnect Puts the ‘Off’ in Office Hours.] that touched on psychosocial hazards and dive into what they are, how they …
by Rob Sheppard and Taylah Cooper [IMPORTANT NOTE: this article has been updated as at 06/03/24] [Approx 3.5 min read] The balance between work and life has become an almost continual topic of conversation in the post-Covid SME business world. With the Fair Work Amendment (Right to Disconnect) Bill 2023 (the ‘amendment’) passing into law, there is now a legal ‘right to disconnect’ for Australian workers established. This amendment to the Fair Work Act 2009 is an attempt to place …
by Rob Sheppard [Approx 3 min read] 2024 marks the year for businesses in Australia to be more aware than ever of how they operate – both in terms of the suite of new employment laws they face and the way businesses attract and retain their workforces. It is especially crucial for SMEs to be aware of the changes in employment conditions and entitlements as they continue to expand their operations (issues impacting 2-3 team members will be exponentially worse …
a mini-article by Taylah Cooper [Approx 1 min read] Some SMEs struggle to move away from a ‘handshake’ method of deducting from their team members pays – and this could be a problem in 2024. (note: this information applies to national system employers only) What was the deal? Under the Fair Work Act 2009, rules already apply when making deductions from an employee’s pay. For deductions made for the employee’s benefit (like a salary sacrifice to a health fund or …
by Rob Sheppard [Approx 3 min read] In Australia, workforce management for SMEs has witnessed a transformative [perhaps even ‘seismic’] shift in both legislation and the way office and technology-based roles now work. Looking back at our articles over the year, it was evident that the journey to this transformation has been marked by both significant changes and opportunities to grow. Here is a snapshot of just some of the year as we saw it: The flexible [hybrid] work revolution …
by Rob Sheppard [Approx 4.5 min read] SME business owners face many challenges in today’s constantly changing employment landscape. A growing challenge that is not going away post-Covid, is the demand for flexible work arrangements from teams who have enjoyed the positive impact this has had on their lives. It is also a legislated area of the workplace – as many business owners are finding out. While compliance with laws is obviously essential, I thought I’d shed some light on …
by Rob Sheppard [Approx 3.5 min read] In the dynamic landscape of Australian industrial relations, interpreting award conditions can be a formidable challenge for businesses of all sizes. Just ask some of the biggest corporations in Australia (ahem- Commonwealth Bank and Woolies just to name two). The complexities involved in understanding both the Western Australian (WA) State system and the Federal (Fair Work) System can seem overwhelming at times. And if you think it’s already tough, brace yourself, because …
