Uncooperative employees are hard to deal with at the best of times, but what about when you are actively coaching them? It is not hard to understand why many managers resile from such a task. However, coaching is an integral part of a manager’s role and uncooperative employees are always going to exist. I have…
Are workers compensation laws creating discrimination?
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…
Productivity Commission: Workplace Relations Framework
Published 28 March 2016 The Productivity Commission handed down its report into the workplace relations framework on 21 December 2015. The report concludes that the current industrial relations system is largely working well, but that it does require some tweaks to address the issue of balance between parties with interests in the workplace. The Productivity…
Discrimination, reasonable adjustments and workplace injury: Butterworth v Independence Australia Services (Human Rights) [2015] VCAT 2056 (22 December 2015)
Published 28 March 2016 The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal awarded a woman $3,325.25 for economic loss and $10,000 for non-economic loss after her employment was terminated due to a workplace injury and a failure to make reasonable adjustments. Ms Butterworth worked at Independence Australia Services (IAS) as a Customer Service Officer from 2007 until…
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…
Workplace Planning – what steps have you taken?
Published 14 March 2016 Are you well set up for Workforce Success? With the new business year now well underway, you will, no doubt, be seriously into workplace planning and strategising for the year ahead. Issues on the table might include: Is hiring more staff a priority? Is a new Enterprise Agreement on the cards?…