A suite of robust policies and procedures is an essential element of good governance in any organisation. Often employers discover that their policies and procedures are inadequate, only once their actions are reviewed by a tribunal or court. Adequate workplace policies are key mechanisms for outlining exactly what the standards of conduct are in […]
Part of running an effective organisation is ensuring that all staff are held accountable for their actions in the workplace, and are able to air grievances and raise complaints in a safe forum. This means that employers may need to undertake investigations into staff misconduct from time to time. Managing an unbiased and thorough […]
A Code of Conduct sets out the ‘golden rules’ or guidelines in which employers and industry bodies codify acceptable standards of behaviour in the workplace. Individual businesses can develop their own Codes of Conduct applicable to their specific interests. Many professional bodies also implement standardised Codes of Conduct covering behaviour which is perceived as […]
When faced with an allegation of serious misconduct made against a worker, an organisation may seek to suspend the respondent. But in what situations is it appropriate to take this kind of action? tHE LEGALITY OF SUSPENSION When taking the significant step of temporarily suspending an employee, an organisation must be able to demonstrate […]
In every workplace, there will eventually be a situation where an investigation needs to be carried out into an employee’s compliant or conduct. One of the most crucial aspects of conducting workplace investigations includes preparing an investigation report which can be relied upon for any future purpose, including carrying out and implementing disciplinary action […]
Workers compensation is one of those central issues that necessarily impacts upon the thinking and planning of Australian employers. To use the old phrase – “accidents happen.” And indeed, it is this inevitability that leads to the simple, no-fault basis of most Australian statutory workers’ compensation schemes. Yet workers compensation is a variable beast, and […]
With Australia’s aging population, it comes as no surprise that the demand for various aged care services continues to escalate. It is also somewhat inevitable that complaints will rise, as aged clients and their loved ones navigate their expectations and emotions in a relatively challenging time. We examine the latest work of the aged care […]
When it comes to workplace fraud, it can be tempting to boil down the cause into simplistic statements, such as saying the fraudster was just “greedy and dishonest.” But of course things are generally not quite that simple, and just as plane crashes usually require at least two or three things to go wrong, in […]
Workplace Policies: Are They Legally Binding? A recent decision of a Queensland appeal court raises some interesting questions about the role that workplace policies play in the employment relationship, and specifically whether they form part of the employment contract. In 2009, the employment of a lecturer at a Queensland university was terminated for serious and […]