The matter of Matthew v Winslow Constructions Pty Ltd brings to light the importance of duty of care in a sexual harassment matter. The Supreme Court of Victoria has awarded an employee over $1.3 million in damages after finding that her employer was negligent in failing to provide a safe working environment and allowing her to […]
DetailsIf you have been the victim of bullying, the HR department in your organisation is generally the first port of call for raising your concerns. It can be mentally or emotionally challenging to make a complaint to HR. You may feel exposed or vulnerable because you are concerned that your complaint may not be believed, […]
DetailsOne of the most challenging aspects for employers attempting to deal with workplace bullying or misconduct is getting to the truth of allegations, especially in circumstances where the apparent victim’s version of events contradicts that of the alleged bully. Most of the time, this disparity can be put down to differences of opinion or misinterpretation […]
DetailsA wrap-up of the Children, Justice and Communication Conference at Portsmouth University, May 2017. Last week, I had the privilege of attending the Children, Justice and Communication Conference at Portsmouth in the UK. The conference is hosted by some of the world’s leading academics and practitioners working in the areas of child sexual exploitation, […]
DetailsThe issue of workplace bullying is much more openly discussed these days, and most employees are aware that they can make a formal complaint to their employers and have the matter investigated – with appropriate resolution to follow. But what happens if you are not the victim, but instead have been accused of being the […]
DetailsA recent decision of the Australian Information Commissioner has confirmed that certain categories of internal documents cannot generally be forced to be the subject of a disclosure process. The decision, which was handed down by Commissioner Tim Pilgrim on April 5, 2017, arose from a refusal by Australia Post to produce documents to a […]
DetailsEvery year billions of Australian dollars are provided to fund aid projects overseas. The money is targeted to assist developing countries with education, housing, health and community projects. Naturally children are a prime target group for these aid programs. The majority of these organisations are funded by the Australian public via donations and government funding […]
DetailsAll workplaces are at risk of allegations of bullying, harassment, discrimination or other claims of misconduct or inappropriate dealings. As such, all employers must be prepared to conduct investigative interviews to determine the veracity and accuracy of any allegations made against or by one or more of their employees. Apart from properly eliciting the facts, […]
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