Spreading the Christmas Cheer or the Grinch that Stole Christmas: the Hits and Misses of Workplace Christmases Past

As we come to the end of 2016 and approach Christmas, an exciting time of the working year, as staff are treated to workplace Christmas parties and often time off work over the Christmas and New Year period, some businesses find themselves in tricky situations: everything from misbehaving employees to disputes over annual leave rights […]

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December 14

Three strikes and you’re out – is it possible to ban sports talk in the workplace?

A recent opinion piece in the Sydney Morning Herald raised the issue of sport conversation in the workplace, emphasising its ability to exclude as sport can be significant within a culture, but not necessarily for all individuals. While this may be true, it is difficult to argue that sport should – and more importantly can […]

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October 17

Hyper-connectivity and the new workplace

The past twenty years have seen more rapid technological change than any other period in human history. This has had a profound effect on social interaction and human psychology. Most notably, increased data speeds, web 2.0, and invention of smart phones, have created a situation where continuous connectivity is the new norm. The answer to […]

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August 2

Workplace Benefits and Perks vs Salary – A Balancing Exercise

We are seeing an increasing number of companies that are offering extensive, lucrative and sometimes unusual workplace benefits to employees in an effort to not only attract, but also retain a talented workforce. The best example of employers turning to (sometimes outrageous) workplace benefits is never more apparent than among the innovative technology giants of […]

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July 8

Digital Disruption In Our Workplaces: Good news or apocalyptic nightmare?

It has been predicted that up to 5 million jobs, or 40% of the current jobs in Australia, could disappear in the next 10-15 years. This, and other similar staggering forecasts, have got many considering the effects of technology on our workplaces. The rapidly changing environment of our workplaces has been the cause of much […]

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July 1

Unfair Dismissal or General Protection? A high pressure choice facing employee litigants

When National system employees are unlawfully dismissed from employment they will generally have a choice of which section under the Fair Work Act to make their application. Was it an Unfair Dismissal, or was it a contravention of a General Protection involving dismissal? There is considerable overlap in these actions, but the Fair Work Act […]

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