Volunteer organisations have a special place in the heart of every community. The vital work that they carry out most often involves providing assistance to those who are in need. Issues of poverty, homelessness, abuse, infirmity and mental illness are just some of the challenging aspects within the day-to-day operations of many volunteer groups. Volunteering […]
Fraud is enormously detrimental to Australian organisations, with KPMG putting the average cost of each case in 2015 at $1.4 million. There can be a number of reasons why an employee commits fraud, such as personal financial pressures, personality traits, rationalisation, and opportunity. Since it’s fairly impossible to control other people’s personalities, thoughts and […]
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 […]
Procedural fairness (or ‘natural justice’ as it is otherwise known) has ancient origins, dating back to the Greek philosopher, Plato and Roman philosopher, Seneca.1 It applies in situations where there is a decision to be made which could have an adverse outcome on the rights, interests or legitimate expectations of a person. Historically […]
Developing the skills to ask the right questions in any investigative interview or investigation is often a long and arduous journey peppered by mistakes that are only discovered when a case cannot be prosecuted or a decision upheld. Attempting to fast track this learning is the desire of all managers and practitioners. However, traditional learning […]
It is heartening to see that the stigma around mental illness is slowly reducing, both in workplaces and the broader community. Yet when it comes to identifying and monitoring mental illness at work, many employers are uncertain of the best mechanisms to use. We understand that employers want to do the right thing by their […]
Jill McMahon – Wednesday, June 29, 2016 Corruption is a huge problem for Australian organisations because it exists in so many places and in so many forms that the average manager may not even consider it an issue. Left unchecked, even minor corrupt behaviour can spiral out of control. Using legitimate processes is […]
Jill McMahon – Thursday, March 03, 2016 Corruption is a significant issue in Australia’s public sector. It can exist in many forms with varying degrees of severity. But even though its existence is well documented, it remains difficult to address because witnesses can be unwilling to report their experiences. There can be many reasons for […]
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 […]
Choosing an investigator to conduct your workplace investigation can be a complex task. Do you look internally or externally? What are the features of a high-quality workplace investigator? And what common problems can arise along the way? Common issues that employers should consider include: How confidentiality and fairness are to be balanced. How quality will […]