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…
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…
Performance reviews: a meaningful process or a waste of time?
Published 13 December 2016 Proactive businesses will have now turned their focus to planning for 2017 and looking for ways to improve on this year’s performance. However, what many businesses fail to turn their minds to is reviewing the performance of their employees, whether it be because it is an uncomfortable and sometimes awkward process…
Court found an ‘all-inclusive rate’ of pay may include award entitlements if clearly expressed
Published 5 December 2016 The employment contract of a former employee did not prevent her from claiming payments for additional hours worked because the contract failed to clearly express which entitlements were included in her annual salary. Ms Stewart was employed by Next Residential Pty Ltd (Next Residential) as an administration coordinator with an annual…
Post employment restraints either side of the Murray – murky territory for employers and employees
We tend to think that the main differences between New South Wales and Victoria concern the trams, ‘hook turns’, and AFL. When it comes to the business, economics, law, and our fundamental rights, there is a general understanding that the law that governs one Australian should be the law the governs all. But this is not always…
The slippery slope of informal workplace complaints
Published 14 November 2016 Given the very nature of informal workplace complaints (the fact that they are usually verbal, aren’t made in accordance with a formal workplace policy and are often made by reluctant complainants), it can sometimes be difficult for managers to find the right balance in dealing with them. I have seen on…