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The absolute minimum short-term actions employers should consider implementing in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak are outlined by Harmers Workplace Lawyers solicitor Zeb Holmes. Employers don't need to draft special policies in response to the outbreak, however, and should be careful if deciding to update existing documents, he says.

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HR professionals have an "enormous" part to play in building a robust safety culture, especially in light of expanding industrial manslaughter laws targeting organisations and their officers. The implication for HR practitioners is that "now more than ever, it is crucial that they review their safety systems across the board, that they work to create a culture of safety and have robust systems of hazard identification and risk assessment", says HR Legal managing partner Dan Feldman.

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Despite an enormous amount of attention being paid to data literacy, misconceptions abound about what it is and how difficult it is to obtain, says Data to the People founder Jane Crofts. HR practitioners in particular are facing an "uphill battle" but part of the journey is appreciating that data literacy is not something foreign or new, and is actually already a part of most roles.

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An assessment and mapping tool developed to ensure Westpac has the skills it needs in coming years has won a global HR award. Over the past two years, OPRA Psychology Group has partnered with the bank to develop a bespoke online assessment tool as part of its 'workforce revolution strategy', says general manager and psychologist Ben Hainsworth.

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An employee has won reinstatement after arguing his performance improvement plans set him up to fail and ignored his personal circumstances. The Fair Work Commission questioned his supervisor's "push" approach performance management.

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The "continued pattern of misconduct" that preceded a seemingly harsh dismissal for safety breaches justified the consequences, the FWC has ruled. The employer's failure to enforce its safety rules consistently in the past did not bar it from implementing a stricter approach.