We first ran this blog in 2014 and from the number of comments we received, it clearly raised issues that resonated with many of our readers. So by popular demand, here it is again. We welcome your comments, as always. Bullying and harassment legislation is in place to protect employees from being bullied by their […]
Jill McMahon – Monday, January 18, 2016 It’s a good time to take stock and reflect on the year that was. The cases that hit the headlines in 2015 had some important messages for employers with some common themes. In this article, the first in a two-part series, we will look at how the Fair […]
Secret Santa, also known as Kris Kringle, is a gift-giving tradition celebrated by workplaces all over Australia. Although popular, it also has the potential to go wrong. Following on from our article on hosting incident-free work Christmas parties, we take a look at the potential risks of the office Secret Santa, and what preventative […]
With the federal government increasingly exercising its legislative muscle when it comes to workplace bullying, employers are expected to be vigilant in prevention and to properly deal with bullying when issues arise. One of the key areas is work health and safety (WHS) and the physical impact of workplace bullying. WHS requirements WHS legislation requires […]
In January 2014, the anti-bullying provisions of the Fair Work Act came into effect. They included provisions for Stop Bullying Orders (SBOs). In this article, we take a look at how the SBO system is working so far. Why were the orders introduced? Early intervention in workplace bullying is essential to prevent further harm to […]
So 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 […]
It’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 […]
In 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 […]
In 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 […]
The Fair Work Commission (FWC) has issued a formal ruling for a Stop Bullying Order under section 789FF of the Fair Work Act. It’s the first formal ruling since the anti-bullying provisions of the Act came into effect on January 1, 2014. The Details of the case In the ruling on August 5, the […]