Employers that don't adequately prepare for employees' imminent right to request flexible working arrangements could see the morale of their workforce eroded and face public scrutiny over their handling of requests, says workplace lawyer Brad Petley.
The GFC has caused many baby boomers to rethink their retirement plans, creating opportunities for employers to benefit from their unique knowledge and experience for longer - if they can keep them engaged - says Nola Charkos, corporate consultant for ipac consulting.
Flexible work arrangements will be seen as solutions to the "problem" of women's employment until more men access them, says the director of the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA), Mairi Steele.
Employers that think of their workers as individuals as opposed to a stakeholder group with "homogenous interests" are more likely to distinguish themselves as employers of choice, a researcher says.
With only three months to go until the "right to request flexibility" kicks off with the other National Employment Standards, more than four in every five employers are under-prepared and at risk of failing to comply with the new rules, a survey reveals.
Employers in Denmark have embraced flexible working hours arrangements, but some are finding it hard to overcome "flexitime jealousy", according to a visiting academic.
The low prevalence of paid maternity leave in female-dominated industries shows "there is more work to be done" on gender equality in Australia, says Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Elizabeth Broderick.
Recognising that "employees are not the paid enemy" is a necessary step toward a workplace culture that fosters high retention and financial success, says Roche Australia's national L&D manager, Becky Casey.
A new Australian Standard of Employment Rights gives employers and workers a benchmark against which to measure the industrial relations health of their workplace, says University of Sydney professor of labour law, Ron McCallum.
Current HR development strategies are "hindering" and "damaging" businesses by failing to meet the 21st-century needs of employers and workers, a workplace consultant says.
The laws around engaging casual and contract workers have changed drastically this year. Understand how this affects your organisation by attending this HR Daily webinar.
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