Think Employee Behaviour is clear cut? Sometimes, workplace incidents can seem straightforward to an employer – an employee has done something wrong, and action should be taken. But two recent cases before the Fair Work Commission (FWC) demonstrate the importance of properly investigating a matter and relying on sound evidence before taking action against an employee, […]
How to Cover Essential Rights in an Interview Covering the essential rights of a person in an interview is crucial to procedural fairness. If the interviewee is not made aware of their rights from the outset, anything that they may say during the interview may be viewed as being lacking in procedural fairness and of […]
Careless Whispers: Confidentiality and Office Gossip It’s human nature, really. We all love glimpses into the private lives of others, which is why the Kardashians are a household name. And our appetite for gossip can naturally extend to the workplace as well. We spend a lot of our lives in the company of our workmates after all, […]
Red Flags for Workplace Fraud It’s a bright, sunny day outside and an employee really doesn’t feel like going to work. They decide to call in sick and spend the day at the beach. It must be okay, because everyone does it. Right? Wrong. An employee claiming paid sick leave when they are fit to […]
Tiptoeing Through the Minefield of Raising Allegations There’s an awful lot at stake when conducting workplace investigations, and so they need to be handled with care and skill. It really is like tiptoeing through a minefield. One wrong move can cause an explosion of legal consequences that may harm your organisation. One key area of […]
Surviving Hell – Men and Workplace Bullying As a society, Australia is becoming better at dealing with workplace bullying. That is, better at understanding, noticing, preventing, stopping and compensating for injury. Yet we also have so much to learn about the more nuanced after-effects of this scourge within Australian workplaces. One problematic and often ignored […]
How to Stop Workplace Bullying in its Tracks Workplace bullying is an enormous problem, which can be very difficult to manage effectively. Not only does the victim experience high levels of stress, but bullying can cause a loss of productivity, and prevent staff from being able to work together. It can also result in more […]
When Should a Matter be Handed to Police for Investigation? Police involvement in a workplace incident is an unwelcome prospect for any organisation. It is often difficult for employers to know what matters should be reported to the police, at what stage of the process to contact the police, and how to proceed once the […]
Performance Management or Bullying? Finding the Line Being a manager is a tricky business. Not only are you responsible for your team meeting its targets and goals, but you must manage employees with a diverse range of personalities and abilities. It’s often difficult to walk the line between effective management, and risking claims of […]
Versions of Events Differ? Raising Challenges in Interviews If you are conducting a workplace investigation, no doubt you’re dealing with something unpleasant. All the more so because at some point you will have to conduct an interview with the person against whom allegations have been made. Allegations have been made, an interview is required To […]