Your HR System and Smarts for SME Success
Fair Work Ombudsman v Step Ahead Security Services Pty Ltd and Another A private security firm, Step Ahead Services Pty Ltd, had paid eight casual security staff flat hourly rates of $20 on weekdays, $25 on weekends, and $30 on public holidays. Separate overtime and other penalties in the Security Services Award 2010 were not […]
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As part of its annual wage review, the Fair Work Commission’s Expert Panel has today ordered an increase to the national minimum wage of 2.4%. The new national minimum wage will be $672.70 per week or $17.70 per hour. This constitutes an increase of $15.80 per week to the weekly rate or 41 cents per […]
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The Decision The decision of Butterworths v Independence Australia Services concerned an employee, Ms Butterworth, who had worked as a Customer Services Officer at Independence Australia Services (IAS) from 2007 to 2013. The employee suffered from fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, a neck and shoulder injury and anxiety and depression, which required her to be returned […]
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Managing parental leave and return to work transitions presents several challenges to employers regarding their legal obligations to employees, costs associated with the transition and management of other employees to ensure minimal disruption to workplace output. These challenges affect key areas that are managed by human resources professionals and company directors. Parental Leave Discrimination Pregnancy […]
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The recent decision of Lion Dairy and Drinks Milk Limited v Peter Norman highlights that employers have the right to direct workers to be independently assessed by medical professionals of their choosing, for the purpose of fulfilling OH&S requirements, and determining whether termination is necessary. In February 2014, the worker was injured in a skydiving […]
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In Victoria, the Victorian WorkCover Authority (VWA) is the managing body of the workplace safety system. The VWA aims to prevent workplace injuries, enforce occupational health and safety laws, and provide workplace injury insurance for employers. Its insurance may cover things like replacement of lost income, medical and rehabilitation costs, legal costs and compensation in […]
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A recent case in the Fair Work Commission demonstrates how employers can validly and fairly terminate an employee when the employee poses a health risk to others, and themselves. Employers have the right to terminate an employee if they are unable to fulfil the inherent requirements of their role. However, prior to doing so, an […]
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The Full Federal Court has upheld the dismissal of an employee who was terminated for using sick leave when his application for annual leave was declined. The employee was sacked after he took sick leave on the days for which he had initially requested to take annual leave. The request for annual leave was declined […]
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In a recent case, the Federal Circuit Court held that despite a lack of profitability, the employer took adverse action against an employee on parental leave when they failed to return her to her pre-parental leave position and brought forward her redundancy. Heraud v Roy Morgan Research Ltd [2016] The employee was an Operations Director […]
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Are your employment contracts out-of-date? Or worse, did you employ your staff on a handshake? If either of these scenarios sound familiar, you will find this blog useful! You’ve just employed a real asset – someone who’s a great fit for your company. There’s a mutual understanding about their employment expectations and entitlements. But nothing […]
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