This week the HR Staff n’ Stuff team were lucky enough to attend an HR Employment Law Masterclass where we heard updates on areas that affect a wide range of our clients.  One major area that was covered and has had significant changes of late is related to the Whistleblower laws.  This is a complex and large piece of legislation that you hopefully won’t ever need to use but we have a summary of considerations businesses need to be across.

24 hours or 1,440 minutes or 86,400 seconds.  It doesn’t matter who you are, we all have the same amount of time in a day.  It’s how you use it that counts.  When running or leading a business, it often feels like there are never enough precious, magical time to get everything done while also managing to have a personal life but there are ways to take back from time thieves.  We all know the changes in our lives that “apps” have brought but how do you even find time to work out which ones are applicable to you?  Well fear not fine reader, we’ve taken a look at a few and have 7 time saving apps that might help you streamline your work and give a bit of your day back to you….

 
​​Small businesses typically take a fairly informal approach to appointing new staff.  Often it is done verbally and if there’s time, there may be a short written position description. Many don’t go the extra step in drawing up an employment contract.   While there is no legal requirement for you to provide an employment contract, it should be high on your priority list if you want to protect your business.  Here’s why:

HR Staff n’ Stuff has supported many clients who have needed to implement Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs).   We always  highlight the need to follow process to protect both your business and the employee.  When used correctly, they can have incredibly positive outcomes but when used inappropriately, they can cost a business an absolute fortune! 

​A recent case proves how costly it can be if you get it wrong.....

A few of our clients are small businesses with around twelve staff - for one of them, what should have been a simple situation regarding annual leave became a frustrating series of poor behaviour that culminated in a tough decision being made once they received the advice from HR Staff n' Stuff as their in house HR consultants. 

​The story commences with the appointment of a new senior person in their business. The new employee informed the business owner that they had a pre-planned holiday booked for two weeks within the first few months of starting.  Although the new employee wasn’t entitled to leave, the business owner agreed to honour this time off - it was a reasonable request and can quiet often crop up when new team members commence.  But some will always try to push the envelope....

What kind of Manager are you? 
Are you a Micro-manager who rules with an iron fist, hoards all the power and controls decisions? 

Or are you a Delegator who shares the duties and is more consultative than dictatorial, relinquishes power, and shares responsibility?

To be a great leader, you have to learn how to delegate well.  We have 5 tips on how to become a better delegator and improve your leadership qualities.

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July 1, 2019 marks the start of a new financial year and with it comes changes to minimum wages as set out in the Modern Awards as determined by the Fair Work Commission.   Since 2017, there have also been changes to penalty rates that have significant implications for employers so let’s take a look at them.

Most workforces are comprised of adults and as such, we should be able to assume that they will conduct themselves in a manner befitting grown-ups.  Right?  Nope, not right.  Unfortunately, you will always find that there are those who are willing and able to push boundaries, behave inappropriately and potentially endanger themselves or their colleagues.  Sometimes it’s deliberate and damaging and sometimes it is a lack of understanding or naivete that causes the problems.  

As a business leader, you need to be on the front foot with protecting your employees and your business from unacceptable behaviour.  But how?

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​As a business owner or leader, I bet you are constantly thinking of and planning ways to continuously improve your business?  Well of course, that’s what a great business thinker should be doing but it doesn’t always have to involve grand, long term plans that involve huge capital expenditure.  Improving your business can be as easy as finding small improvements every day. 

Sally is sick. Really sick.  Sally can’t come to work and has now run out of sick leave entitlements.  Sally doesn’t know when she’ll be back at work, so you’re scratching your head wondering ‘what do I do now’?  Sally is one of your customer service team who are drastically under the pump now with a key employee missing from their team…. Sally calls to say that she has to have surgery.  Sally now has complications with her surgery and won’t be back at work for the foreseeable future….. Sally is really sorry.


We hear you screaming from here! It’s frustrating and really hard to keep your business operating at optimal      levels.  Customer service levels are being impacted and the rest of the team are feeling overworked…  To get a temp up to speed will take time and money which will be a lost investment when they are no longer needed.  Sally is still employed so you can’t just replace her.  Or can you?

​An employee has just approached you with a request to ‘cash out’ a portion of their annual leave.  Roger doesn’t want to take the time off – he just wants the cold, hard cash in this instance.  He’s got seven weeks up his sleeve and he’s requested to cash in one week of his accrued annual leave.  Do you want to agree to this request and are you obligated to sign off on Roger’s request?

​Email is both an essential communication tool and an absolute waste of time.  It’s a bold statement but you know I’m right.  Email can take you from sealing a major new deal that will take your business to the next level one minute, while the next you get caught in a to and fro exchange that interrupts you multiple times and causes focus, time and productivity to be lost.  It’s clear that the positives of email outweigh the negatives so the key is to take control of the tsunami of communications and not let email control you.  Simples!  

​Your preferred candidate has accepted the job and the start date has been agreed.  Awesome.  He’ll rock up in a week and you can pop him in Kevin’s old cubicle, and a new era begins you think to yourself as you move on to the next job on your to do list.  

If this is what it looks like when you have a new recruit, then you have just set your new gun hire up for failure.  But I hired someone smart and experienced I hear you cry.  Surely they can just get in there and get stuff done.  Well yes, they most likely will jump in if they are as good as you think, but we’ve got some tips that will help you transition them into your business and provide an excellent base for success. After all, you’ve put some real effort into finding the right person – you must want it to work out long term!

Apps.  What are they good for?  When you look past Candy Crush, they can be incredibly helpful in your business if you choose the ones that suit your needs and your working style.  But do you have the time to wade through them all to find the app that will assist you?  We know you don’t, so we’ve had a look at some of them for you and have some recommendations that might save you some time and money!

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​For some, the freedom of choosing what they wear to work each day is a joy – for others, it is just another chore that needs sorting in the morning!  For the one quarter of workplaces in Australia that have a uniform for their employees, this leaves a considerable number of us   choosing what we wear to work.   So how do these daily choices impact your businesses and what ability to you have to exert any control over how your employees present themselves?