http://www.benchstrength.com.au/campaign_blog Web blog of BenchStrength Mon, 30 Aug 2010 06:40:03 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Since Fair Work was introduced there has been a dramatic increase in the number of claims made by employees for unfair dismissal.  And while the act does make it easier for employees to make a claim, in order to stay out of court you must follow some simple principles when ... http://www.benchstrength.com.au/campaign_blog/?p=62 1.       An employee has been working 40 hours a week since they started, is it okay for them to continue on those hours? No, the National Employment Standard states that 38 hours per week is the maximum weekly hours of work, plus reasonable additional hours. Your employment contracts must reflect this ... http://www.benchstrength.com.au/campaign_blog/?p=61 Fair Work Inspectors may issue infringement notices where they believe an employer has contravened obligations contained in the Fair Work Act 2009 and the Fair Work Regulations 2009.  Recent data shows that Fair Work Ombudsman has had a 20% increase in the level of fines issued by Inspectors. Infringement notices may ... http://www.benchstrength.com.au/campaign_blog/?p=60 Most employers already have policies in place, but it’s not about the policy. What counts is the day-to-day execution by employees, which comes down to the individual manager interpreting policy. Your job as leader is to develop a way to deploy your policies throughout the business.  It’s the employees job to ... http://www.benchstrength.com.au/campaign_blog/?p=59 Taking time away from work for a new baby is a common part of working life. Paid Parental Leave will help parents spend more time at home with a new baby, and help employers keep skilled and valuable staff.The Paid Parental Leave scheme was passed by Parliament in June 2010, ... http://www.benchstrength.com.au/campaign_blog/?p=57 The word feedback in the workplace is often perceived as a negative, Managers also tend to hesitate to provide feedback when it’s performance review time. Let me clarify, feedback is one of the most powerful tools in a business, if carried out constructively it can produce a sharp increase in productivity, and ... http://www.benchstrength.com.au/campaign_blog/?p=56 Are you paying  your staff correctly?  From 1 July 2010 the national minimum wage has increased.  Here is the overview: The national minimum wage replaces the Federal Minimum Wage. From the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2010 the national minimum wage is $569.90 per week (before tax), ... http://www.benchstrength.com.au/campaign_blog/?p=54 A number of workers in Sydney’s western suburbs have been reimbursed more than $170,000 after recent routine audits and investigations by the Fair Work Ombudsman found they were underpaid. The largest recovery was $25,000 for a Leppington storeman who was underpaid his minimum hourly rate, pay in lieu of notice and annual ... http://www.benchstrength.com.au/campaign_blog/?p=53 In a recent survey conducted by HR Help Desk Australia, a division of Benchstrength, business leaders in NSW expressed varied levels of optimism when asked about the outlook for their businesses this year. One hundred NSW small and mid-sized businesses from a cross section of industries were invited to participate ... http://www.benchstrength.com.au/campaign_blog/?p=49 Much has been written and reported recently about the “potential burden” of complying with the new Fair Work Act. And there is plenty of evidence if you don’t pay attention to the changes it could bite you hard. So there is absolutely no advantage in ignoring the changes but instead ... http://www.benchstrength.com.au/campaign_blog/?p=48