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News, analysis, online events and on-demand webcasts covering human resources.en-auCopyright HR Dailyhourly11970-01-01T00:00+00:00HR Daily
https://www.hrdaily.com.au/
News, analysis, online events and on-demand webcasts covering human resources.Overcoming flexibility barriers key to supporting working carers; Super added to PPL
https://www.hrdaily.com.au/news/11807
Changes are needed to the "basic architecture" of the National Employment Standards and working time provisions in modern awards to better support working carers, a literature review has found. <!--MORE-->
The review, conducted as part of the Fair Work Commission's examination of work and care aspects of modern awards, found the current workplace relations framework has failed to keep pace with or respond to the changing nature of work and the "evolving needs of worker carers".
But the authors of the Western Sydney University review, professors Meg Smith and Sara Charlesworth, say the [Secure Jobs Act](10966), which inserted a new aim to promote job security and gender equality in the Fair Work Act, "may well present an important impetus to regulatory innovation"...HR Daily2024-03-08T13:13:00+10:00'Work and care' award variations; Honours for HR expert; and more
https://www.hrdaily.com.au/news/11712
* FWC considering 'work and care' award variations
* HR trailblazer receives Australia Day honours
* Who's on the move in HR?HR Daily2024-01-29T12:31:00+10:00IME directions and "persistent" RTW enquiries forced employee to resign
https://www.hrdaily.com.au/news/11630
An employee was forced to resign due to her employer's "persistent" enquiries about her return to work during her pregnancy and parental leave, the Fair Work Commission has ruled. <!--MORE-->
The Oleochem Project Management offshore production chemist worked on a vessel off north-west Western Australia, on a three weeks on and three weeks off fly-in, fly-out basis.
In June this year, while on parental leave, she resigned, stating she felt like she had no other choice; she said she was "truly disappointed" in the employer's treatment of her over the previous 20 months, which had been "an absolute nightmare"...HR Daily2023-11-20T14:57:00+10:00Employer's refusal of flexible work request was reasonable: FWC
https://www.hrdaily.com.au/news/11626
Requiring an employee to be in the office for 40% of his work hours was reasonable, the Fair Work Commission has found in upholding the rejection of his flexible work request. <!--MORE-->
In August this year, the employee of salary-packaging provider Maxxia submitted a flexible working arrangement form, seeking to work 100% of his full-time hours from home on an ongoing basis.
He said he was seeking a custody arrangement for his child where he would care for them every second week; he also provided a doctor's letter stating he suffered from inflammatory bowel disease...HR Daily2023-11-17T15:16:00+10:00Paid parental leave scheme to reach 26 weeks by 2026
https://www.hrdaily.com.au/news/11566
Paid parental leave will incrementally increase to 26 weeks over the next three years, as part of the Federal Government's 'More Support for Working Families' Bill. <!--MORE-->
The Bill, introduced to Parliament today, proposes to increase the [current entitlement of 20 weeks](11277) to 22 weeks in July next year, 24 weeks in July 2025, and 26 weeks in July 2026.
It will also boost "concurrent leave" in 2026, which will allow both parents to take four weeks off at the same time if they choose to. At the moment, parents can take up to 10 days' leave concurrently.
Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth says those who receive paid parental leave will "benefit from a more generous scheme that supports maternal health and wellbeing, [encourages dads and partners to take leave](11336), and gives families flexibility to choose how they share care"...HR Daily2023-10-19T13:49:00+10:00Employers urged to self-assess support for working carers
https://www.hrdaily.com.au/news/11561
The Federal Government is today launching an initiative to improve workplace support for employees who are also unpaid carers. <!--MORE-->
The Carer Inclusive Workplace Initiative (CIWI), a result of recommendations from last year's [Jobs and Skills Summit](10779), is being announced in Canberra this morning by Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth.
"Just as workplaces have adapted to accommodate parents caring for children, it is crucial that we acknowledge the unique challenges faced by carers and provide them with the support needed to thrive in their careers," Rishworth says...HR Daily2023-10-19T06:00:00+10:00Accommodating breastfeeding employee not an "outlandish demand"
https://www.hrdaily.com.au/news/11527
An employer has claimed it didn't have to provide "gold standard" breastfeeding facilities to accommodate an employee's needs, but its pop-up tent in an open storeroom was far from an adequate solution, a tribunal found. <!--MORE-->
ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal Presidential Member Heidi Robinson and Senior Member Lea Drake criticised the employer for failing to adjust to "the needs of a modern workplace", noting its attitude towards breastfeeding was unlikely to "encourage women of childbearing age to consider [it] as a long-term employer".
The former assistant restaurant manager for Southern Restaurants (Vic) – the largest private KFC franchise owner in the country – claimed the employer indirectly discriminated against her because of her status as a breastfeeding mother.
She told the Tribunal that in October 2021, prior to her scheduled return to work after giving birth, she met with two managers, both men, to discuss flexible work arrangements to accommodate her parenting and breastfeeding commitments...HR Daily2023-10-03T15:28:00+10:00Flexibility better than unpaid leave for working carers: PC
https://www.hrdaily.com.au/news/11506
Flexible working arrangements could be a better solution to helping employees manage their caring responsibilities, as opposed to giving them access to extended unpaid leave, a Productivity Commission inquiry has found. <!--MORE-->
The inquiry report examined the potential effects of including an entitlement to extended unpaid carer's leave in the National Employment Standards (NES), finding such an entitlement would have "few positive impacts" and would add some costs to employers.
The number of carers who would potentially benefit from taking one-to-12 months' extended unpaid leave would be "small", the report says, while the "net benefits to the community are expected to be modest at best"...HR Daily2023-09-20T12:47:00+10:00Manager claims parental leave prompted his redundancy
https://www.hrdaily.com.au/news/11380
A manager whose role was made redundant just hours after he allegedly told his employer he planned to apply for unpaid parental leave has lost his adverse action claim. <!--MORE-->
Federal Circuit Court Judge Doug Humphreys rejected that the manager was dismissed in a "sham redundancy", finding the employer was downsizing due to "financial strain" caused by the pandemic.
The Servcorp Administration sales director made a general protections application, arguing he was retrenched because he had exercised a workplace right. He also claimed the employer had failed to give him written notice of his dismissal...HR Daily2023-07-24T13:41:00+10:00Inclusive leave policies a key factor in retention success
https://www.hrdaily.com.au/news/11336
An employer has achieved a 50% increase in men taking parental leave, and a 75% reduction in women resigning while on parental leave, since making its policy more inclusive. <!--MORE-->
Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) has removed "traditional" primary and secondary carer labels from its policies to make them more inclusive, and provides 16 weeks' paid leave, which it is considering extending to 18.
Chief operating officer Justin Untersteiner, who works part time and is himself "a very active dad", says the new policies encourage parents to share the caring load equally...HR Daily2023-07-03T11:51:00+10:00Coles targets "leaky bucket" holding back DEI progress
https://www.hrdaily.com.au/news/11309
After reaching an important gender diversity target nine months ahead of schedule, Coles is now zeroing in on specific business functions where female representation could improve, according to its DEI lead. <!--MORE-->
In March this year, Coles achieved its target of 40% women in leadership, and signed off on its next three-year D&I strategy, says diversity and inclusion head Katie Wyatt. (The company's goal is 40% women, 40% men, and 20% of 'any gender'.)
"We want to maintain the 40/40/20 that we have achieved and also then start to look at those pockets of the business that have less gender balance," she tells HR Daily...HR Daily2023-06-20T12:10:00+10:00IR changes now in effect: flexible work, unpaid parental leave, enterprise bargaining
https://www.hrdaily.com.au/news/11277
Employers' obligations regarding flexible work, unpaid parental leave and enterprise bargaining change today, while more industrial relations reforms are coming into effect soon. <!--MORE-->
Employees now have stronger rights to request flexible working arrangements and extensions to unpaid parental leave.
The Federal Government's Secure Jobs Act has amended the Fair Work Act to expand eligibility for flexible work requests to employees who are pregnant or who are experiencing family and domestic violence...HR Daily2023-06-06T06:00:00+10:00Flexible work expansion critical to gender equality strategy
https://www.hrdaily.com.au/news/11209
Improving the availability of flexible work options for employees with care responsibilities should be a key part of the national strategy to achieve gender equality, Diversity Council Australia says. <!--MORE-->
The Federal Government is developing a National Strategy to Achieve Gender Equality for release in the second half of 2023, fulfilling an election promise.
DCA has recently made a submission, based on feedback from 807 employers. It makes 28 recommendations for what the strategy should include...HR Daily2023-05-01T12:25:00+10:00"Culture shock" and overwhelm too common after taking leave: research
https://www.hrdaily.com.au/news/11205
More than one-third of Australian workers have taken leave for more than four consecutive weeks for reasons other than a holiday, and for many the return is far from smooth, highlighting how important it is for organisations to offer proactive support.<!--MORE-->
The research, conducted by Seek, has found the most common reasons for taking leave apart from travel are mental health challenges (24%), parental leave (24%), physical illness or injury (21%) and a career break (15%). And a third of employees who have taken non-holiday leave say they didn't keep in contact with their employer during their time off.
Seek's chief people and culture officer Kathleen McCudden says some employees will want a complete break from work, however making "a real effort" to accommodate those who wish to keep in touch is really important...HR Daily2023-04-28T12:03:00+10:00Productivity gains with hybrid work; Barriers to dads taking parental leave; and more
https://www.hrdaily.com.au/news/11178
* Hybrid work improving mental health, productivity
* Parental leave equality requires "real" cultural shift
* Disability "ignorance" driving down productivityHR Daily2023-04-12T15:05:00+10:00"Loopholes" closing regarding super, migrant workers and more in new bill
https://www.hrdaily.com.au/news/11153
The Labor Government has introduced its second tranche of promised workplace relations reforms, aiming to close the "loopholes that some businesses use to undercut workers' pay, security and flexibility".<!--MORE-->
Employment Minister Tony Burke says the changes build on last year's Secure Jobs, Better Pay legislation.
"This Government is committed to the fairer and more equitable workplace relations system Australians need, want and deserve," he says...HR Daily2023-03-29T16:07:00+10:00Parental leave entitlements changing; Harassment benchbook released; and more
https://www.hrdaily.com.au/news/11151
* "Flexible" parental leave bill coming this week
* FWC seeking feedback on s-xual harassment dispute proposals
* Senate passes gender pay gap billHR Daily2023-03-28T14:50:00+10:00Banning restraint clauses; New harassment laws in force; and more
https://www.hrdaily.com.au/news/11114
* Ban on non-compete clauses under consideration
* New harassment laws now in effect
* Paid parental leave legislation passes
* Tougher penalties for negligent employersHR Daily2023-03-10T13:53:00+10:00Rejecting HR's parental leave request wasn't a dismissal
https://www.hrdaily.com.au/news/11078
An HR manager on probation has failed to prove she was constructively dismissed after her employer rejected her request for leave to give birth and deal with the "substantial challenges" that would follow. <!--MORE-->
The HR manager claimed accounting firm Roberts & Morrow took unlawful adverse action in sacking her because she was pregnant and/or by preventing her from accessing accrued leave.
The Federal Circuit Court heard the HR manager started with the employer in September 2021, subject to a six-month probation period. Two months later, she told her supervisor she was pregnant, and that her pregnancy was considered high-risk...HR Daily2023-02-22T16:04:00+10:00Calls for paid parental leave changes to extend further
https://www.hrdaily.com.au/news/11080
The Federal Government is being urged to increase its proposed paid parental leave entitlements much more substantially, building to 52 weeks by 2030.<!--MORE-->
In a submission to a Senate committee inquiry into proposed PPL changes, CEO of Parents At Work Emma Walsh has welcomed efforts to further strengthen and expand existing provisions, but says more investment is needed.
The Government proposes to combine the two existing parental leave payments (up to 18 weeks for 'primary' carers and up to two weeks for dads and partners) into a single 20-week scheme by 1 July, with two weeks reserved on a 'use it or lose it' basis for each claimant...HR Daily2023-02-22T15:42:00+10:00Webcast resources: HR hot spots 2023
https://www.hrdaily.com.au/news/11089
Here you'll find links to all resources relevant to HR Daily's 'HR hot spots 2023' webinar, presented on 2 February by King & Wood Mallesons senior consultant Brett Feltham.HR Daily2023-02-07T16:03:00+10:00"Really alarming stats" on workplace support for returning parents
https://www.hrdaily.com.au/news/11049
Most workplaces don't have a formal return process for new parents, and many of the programs that do exist are seriously flawed, a life coach and mental health advocate says. <!--MORE-->
This widespread lack in official return to work programs is contributing to the stigma that pregnancy negatively hinders work productivity and career progression, Mumma Life is Now founder Tammy Hewitt tells HR Daily.
And the problem starts early, she says. "I think where the gap is, is right on the onset of the employee announcing that they're pregnant."
At this point, employees often feel like they're causing an inconvenience to their leader and team, Hewitt says...HR Daily2023-02-07T13:18:00+10:00Webcast: HR hot spots 2023
https://www.hrdaily.com.au/news/11042
The end of 2022 saw a raft of new laws being passed, but those reforms are just the start of what HR will face in 2023. Watch this HR Daily Premium webcast to prepare yourself for the year ahead. <!--MORE-->
Topics covered include:
* IR law changes introduced with the Secure Jobs, Better Pay Act;
* Respect@Work legislation and the positive duty to address sex discrimination, sexual harassment, and hostile work environments;
* Family and domestic violence leave;
* Psychosocial hazards;
* Further Fair Work Act changes;
* Paid parental leave; and more...HR Daily2023-02-03T15:08:00+10:00'Same job, same pay' threatens workplace harmony; PPL extending
https://www.hrdaily.com.au/news/10868
* 'Same pay' laws would increase complexity, not reduce it
* Paid Parental Leave expanding to 26 weeksHR Daily2022-10-17T12:15:00+10:00How cross-functional leaders "activate caring"
https://www.hrdaily.com.au/news/10716
Business leaders are working "hand in glove" with HR at Audible to build a "human and value-based" environment for employees, its APAC head of operations says. <!--MORE-->
At the audiobook streaming service, HR works side by side with the company's APAC senior vice president and head of operations Leanne Cartwright-Bradford to deliver a supportive culture that centres on the principle, "activate caring".
"HR is not just working on building our policies and programs and working with the key leaders in the team, but they're also working side-by-side with the team themselves and understanding their day-to-day," she explains.
"The way that we work is collaborative and in service of that broader vision around our people principles. Having those principles helps us all go in the same direction..."HR Daily2022-08-04T14:01:00+10:00Fair to discipline absent employee who bore brunt of caring burden
https://www.hrdaily.com.au/news/10708
It was reasonable for an "empathetic" employer to propose disciplining a worker who failed to improve his poor attendance levels over several years, despite three absence management plans, a commission has found.<!--MORE-->
In mid-2018, Queensland's Metro South Hospital and Health Service began managing the nursing assistant's high absence rate, holding numerous meetings with him over the following 10 months.
The employer asked him to explore with his family some strategies that he and/or it could implement to reduce his absences to a "more acceptable level", but he was unable to identify any.
The employee subsequently signed an absence management plan (AMP), which would end if he demonstrated, at the end of a six-month period, that he had decreased his absences to the yearly award entitlement of eight days (or below 4%)...HR Daily2022-08-01T13:56:00+10:00Frameworks replace policies in family-friendly workplaces
https://www.hrdaily.com.au/news/10566
Until now 'flexible' work has largely been limited by boundaries and parameters, but leading employers are replacing their policies with frameworks as they shift family-friendly practices up a gear.<!--MORE-->
Some 70 organisations are now certified as a 'family inclusive workplace' by Family Friendly Workplaces, and these employers now clearly understand "where that line of responsibility happens around employee wellbeing", says CEO Emma Walsh.
Among them is a key shift in how flexibility is perceived and offered, she tells HR Daily.
Previously, many would have had "a flexible work policy that says 'you can do this and can't do that' and so it doesn't read like a flexible work policy. Progressive companies are putting policy aside and not even writing a policy – they are coming up with frameworks and news ways of working"...HR Daily2022-05-25T14:30:00+10:00Mental health index drops further; three groups hit hardest
https://www.hrdaily.com.au/news/10382
Three employee groups are suffering most from the pandemic's emotional impact, with continued strain making mental health recovery more complex, a wellbeing specialist says.<!--MORE-->
"We all know that [the pandemic has] impacted different people differently, depending on your life situation, who you are, and where you are in life," says LifeWorks global leader of research and total wellbeing, Paula Allen.
According to LifeWorks' January mental health index, Australia's mental health score is currently 11.9 points below its pre-pandemic levels.
Further, scores in all mental health sub-categories declined between December and January, with the overall score dropping 0.6 points...HR Daily2022-02-25T13:19:00+10:00Federal Government withdraws Discrimination Bill; Best-practice parental support; and more
https://www.hrdaily.com.au/news/10348
* Religious Discrimination Bill shelved indefinitely
* Fresh calls for positive duty to prevent harassment
* Leading practices in paid parental leave revealed
* But 'room to improve' on support for working parentsHR Daily2022-02-10T15:28:00+10:00Caregiver support now a "must-have" in employee benefits
https://www.hrdaily.com.au/news/10267
Carers' benefits were seen as a "nice to have" before the pandemic, but they have become essential in the new world of work, an employee experience specialist says.<!--MORE-->
"Employees are really waking up to the value of care-related employee benefits, and... they're really demanding it now as a must-have," says Circle In co-founder Jodie Geddes.
The best talent want work cultures that support their roles as caregivers, and research suggests 42% of employers plan to expand or add caregiver support as part of their employee benefits, she says in a new HR Daily Premium webcast.
In the following excerpt, she sets out how COVID has impacted caregivers, and the business case for expanding caregiver support...HR Daily2021-12-07T15:20:00+10:00