​​It’s frightening how quickly we are hurtling towards Christmas and clicking over to a brand new year and in fact, a whole new decade!   It’s safe to say that 2019 has whizzed past us all very quickly.  The saying goes that the past informs the future so let’s take a look at what has happened at HR Staff n’ Stuff over the year as it may help you determine some of the actions you want to take in 2020! 

Have you ever been on the receiving end of a gaslighting experience?  Prove it. 
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Easier said than done actually and that is why gaslighting is such an insidious and damaging behavior that has the capacity to do extraordinary damage within your workplace if you don’t deal with it quickly and effectively.  

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.

​T’is the season to be jolly, or at least it nearly is and that means the annual Christmas parties are about to commence.  Before you dust off the tinsel and the dancing shoes, you need to go through our checklist below so you can be sure you don’t end up with any after party surprises that could cause more pain than your regular hangover.

As HR Consultants, we are asked to advise on the how, when and what of giving an employee a warning....a lot.  It may seem simple enough – you are the business leader, your employee is behaving poorly or not delivering so you bang out a letter and put them on notice.  Right?  Well yes, if you want to get hit with action by Fair Work, or completely disengage an employee.   But if you want to do it the right way which will protect your business and show that you have been fair and followed process, and you are genuinely focused on trying to get the employee to do what is required, read on…

Communication is the exchange of understanding.  What this really means is that what you’ve communicated to an employee has been received in the way that you intended, and that you’ve gotten a response back to let you know that that’s the case.  

Anything less isn’t communication.   It’s just making noises with your mouth.  Those noises can cost you time and money so you want to make sure they are being understood.

There are three  major mistakes managers make when communicating: 

​You’ve invested time and money into recruiting the best candidate for your business and you ticked all the boxes in terms of interviews, capability assessments, reference checks and you have a candidate that is an absolute standout.  But how about a pre-employment medical?  Can you require it as a pre-requisite to employment and what can you do with the results?  

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.....

Feel like you’re in a constant operational cycle, and never get the chance to be more strategic?  Feel like you are always working IN rather than ON your business?

Here are 9 quick  ways to help you get off the roundabout and stay focused on what you really want to achieve so you can continue to take your business forward.

Last week we looked at some tips on how you can make your recruitment process more successful but have you ever wondered how you can get to know a candidate more thoroughly outside of the information they share with you in a CV or the technical skills they display when you set a capability assessment?  Face to face interviews will give you some insight but we all know candidates who have interviewed exceptionally well but in reality, they turn out to be completely wrong for your business. 
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Rest assured, there is a solution! 

To those who haven’t done it, recruitment looks easy but the reality is that most small businesses get it wrong. OK, so that’s a bold statement and maybe a little harsh, but true nonetheless.  As HR consultants working with a wide range of industries, we see the damage that poor recruiting can do to a business.  Recruiting the wrong people ends up costing time and money – time and money that is limited and really needed elsewhere in the business. There are two main reasons that small business owners get recruitment ‘wrong’ - and we have 12 tips to help you get it right for your business!

At HR Staff n’ Stuff, we are lucky enough to work with business owners who are focused on nurturing employee engagement and positive organisational culture.  This is important as we all spend much of our lives in the workplace, so fostering positive and supportive workplace environments should be a priority for all businesses if they want their teams to be motivated, effective and delivering the best output possible while driving retention of experienced and talented team members.

Thinking about it, things usually run smoothly in your workplace, and for most part, your team and workmates are supportive, productive and show respect and kindness towards one another.  But over time, there has been the  occasional team member who has shown an underlying and increasing disregard for others.  We’ve all witnessed it – the team member that everyone tiptoes around as none of us want confrontation in the workplace and you don't want to poke the bear.  Often the perpetrator becomes increasingly volatile and difficult to work with or to manage.  So it's best to just ignore the disruptive behaviour isn't it?

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.

It’s the middle of winter and for many the thought of a tropical island holiday is the only thing that keeps them getting out of bed on these chilly and bleak mornings.   We know that all full-time employees receive four weeks annual leave per year with part time employees receiving the pro-rated equivalent.  Now Virgin, Netflix and Melbourne-based Inventium have all upped the ante and now offer unlimited annual leave – should you?

​Millennials.  It’s a word that strikes terror into the heart of many employers! But this demographic will form 75% of the workforce by 2025 so its vital businesses know how best to harness the skills and talent of this group. 

​Millennials are a complex creature so let’s take a look at a few areas you can consider in your business that will help engage and retain the talent that will drive the best results for your business. 

​Sham Contracting – is it really a big issue?  The Federal Government recently announced that the Fair Work Ombudsman will receive $2.3 million each year for the next four years to establish a unit dedicated to addressing the problem so yes, it is considered a major problem.  But what is sham contracting and how do you make sure your business isn’t involved in it?

The Fair Work Commission has handed down it’s decision last week with a 3% increase to the National Minimum Wage, together with all Modern Award minimum rates of pay.  While the ACTU was calling for a $43.15 a week increase, a 3% increase delivers a $21.60 pay rise to Australian Workers.  

As an employer, you now have some jobs to complete to be in line with these changes.

On July 5 2017, the Fair Work Commission delivered a landmark decision as part of its four-yearly review of Modern Awards which will allow casuals to convert to permanent full time or part time work after being employed for 12 months.

These provisions are not completely new – they have been evident within some awards such as those within the Building and Construction industries for some time.  However, the decision to include a casual conversion clause will impact an additional 85 modern awards with commentators suggesting that the retail and hospitality sectors will be most affected.

But what does this all really mean?

​It’s getting cold out there and the natural desire is to don the warmest clothes you have before stepping out the front door and heading off to work.  But what do these clothes look like and what do they say about you as a business leader?  How do they position your business and you as an industry leader?  If you are the best in your field, what difference does it make how you dress?

Well actually, it can make a massive difference and it’s all decided within two seconds!

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?

We usually discuss adverse action cases whereby an employer has wronged, or been accused of wronging, an employee.  But a recent case lodged by the Australian Building and Construction Commission demonstrates how prospective employees are also protected by the same laws and the penalties for offending employers can be pretty steep!


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To state the obvious, discrimination within the workplace is unlawful – the Fair Work Act is where this law is enshrined.  But what is included and what constitutes an adverse action in relation to discrimination?.