I have been concerned for a long time about the interaction between disability discrimination protections and an employer’s liability under workers compensation legislation. The Dilemma Consider the hypothetical but common situation of a person who has been required to take time out of the workplace due to illness. Sarah has been out of the workplace…
Category: News & Commentary
Stopping Employee Gossiping in its Tracks
I know what you’re thinking, a bit of workplace gossiping is harmless, right? Well think again. What might start out as a bit of chatter can quickly turn into something much more toxic overnight. First a small group of staff are talking about the way a particular employee does her job or that she gets…
Assessing the ‘Cultural Fit’ – smart practice, or unlawful discrimination?
For many years within the human resources world ‘cultural fit’ has been a popular concept. A way to describe the mysterious and elusive je ne sais quoi that separates the employees who have a bright future in a company from the employees who don’t. Often the term ‘poor cultural fit’ will be used to justify…
International Women’s Day – A Time to Reflect on Women in Sport
International Women’s Day falls on the 8th of March each year and was created at the turn of the twentieth century to bring attention to and promote issues of equal rights in employment and suffrage for women. We have come a long way since then, with women being given the right to vote in all…
When High Performers Behave Badly
Most people will remember the ‘fracas’ that arose early last year when popular television show host, Jeremy Clarkson, allegedly punched a producer of Top Gear after failing to have a hot steak delivered to him after a day of filming. At the time, everyone had an opinion as to what the BBC should do about…
Swearing at Work
On Monday I had the pleasure of speaking to Ross Greenwood on his program ‘Money News’ on 2GB. He was discussing the recent Unfair Dismissal case of Horner v Kallis Bros in the Fair Work Commission. The employee was dismissed for swearing at his supervisor. The disimissal was ruled to be not unfair, because despite the…