This week's top HR stories in brief

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An employer that offered a "beyond generous" settlement to a sacked employee has successfully argued she should pay its costs of defending her dismissal claim. It was found that she "wilfully disregarded known facts" and "imprudently refused a reasonable offer of settlement".

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The federal government has proposed tough new laws for companies and directors involved in underpaying workers, as a new set of big employers disclosed underpaying workers by tens of millions of dollars. The proposals follow the criminal sanctions announced last year, which Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter said will be released in draft form "very shortly".

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More and more employers are moving toward a strategic approach to wellbeing that incorporates systems-level thinking about wellness with employee development. But employers need to be wary of thinking their workplace "perks" will have long-term wellness impacts, says Smiling Mind CEO Dr Addie Wootten.

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Modern award amendments affecting annualised salaries are among the biggest changes to impact HR in recent years. Gadens partner Brett Feltham sets out how new modern award clauses will operate from next month, and what employers should be doing now to prepare.

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KPMG is using TED-style talks in its workplace to communicate the value of storytelling in a business context, says KPMG Futures collaboration designer and facilitator Andy White. "There are many situations in the daily lives of our people where a good storytelling skillset is important, from unpacking complex topics for diverse audiences, communicating a memorable insight or learning point from a piece of work, or bringing to life valuable experiences in mentoring relationships."

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The Royal Australian Navy's new resilience program embraces that conversations about mental health should be occurring daily, and setting the right tone is the responsibility of leaders. The Navy has launched RUOK 365 with the help of Graeme Cowan, who says the initiative shows what leading from the top on mental health looks like.

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