Procurement is big business in Australia – there are sections of government devoted solely to procurement and large organisations have policies and procedures in place to regulate procurement practices. It’s a huge area of growth but in recent years it’s also been increasingly exposed to abuse by unscrupulous employees and operators looking to gain significant […]
DetailsWorkplace mediations can be valuable tools for expelling conflict from the workplace without resorting to litigation. There are many possibilities for their use, including resolving conflicts between employees, managing an employee’s work performance, and introducing operational changes. But mediations can swiftly sail into hot water when one of the parties becomes difficult to deal with. […]
DetailsSo much of our lives are lived online these days, and even workplace bullying has made the leap to cyberspace. As one recent case before the Fair Work Commission (FWC) illustrates, employers need to be vigilant about what happens both in the office and online, as bullying spills beyond the boundaries of the physical workplace […]
DetailsIt’s a delicate balance; how do you encourage employees to speak up about bullying and harassment in the workplace if they fear doing so will harm their career? This is a central issue stemming from the release of a draft report into harassment, bullying and discrimination in the practice of surgery. The report, released earlier […]
DetailsIn April 2015, at the launch of her new book, senior surgeon Dr Gabrielle McMullin sent shockwaves through the medical community. She declared that junior female surgeons and surgical students would be better off acquiescing to requests for sexual favours by their senior male colleagues, as refusing requests or taking action against them would be […]
DetailsThe current Royal Commission uncovering shocking examples of institutional child abuse has brought the issue to the forefront of our national consciousness. It is perhaps unsurprising, then, that some authorities get jittery about their role in protecting such a vulnerable section of the population. But sometimes, the very system that is supposed to protect in […]
DetailsIn hindsight, a workplace bullying situation can seem both regrettable and avoidable. Yet time and again, we find that the circumstances leading to the making of a bullying complaint were predictable, or at least displayed a reasonable risk of complaints of bullying occurring. What we can all agree on is by the time a complaint […]
DetailsIt is not uncommon that following a workplace investigation, the former employee raises allegations that the process was procedurally flawed. In addition to considering the investigation process, we need to be aware that the standard of proof used to make any findings may be called into question. In other words, although the investigator may […]
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