Dismissals are hard to handle at the best of times. When you are forced to dismiss staff during a pandemic, the difficulty factor just ratchets up. The 2020 workplace has been defined by COVID-19. As a result, some of the signposts seem to have changed. Emotions are running high. People are anxious and reactive. Juggling home commitments and work – often remotely – is putting extra stress on family life. Remote working can also make it harder for employers to support, monitor employees and ensure your team is productive and motivated.....

Business owners routinely use accountants for tax help and solicitors for legal assistance. So, why do many employers still struggle on regardless when it comes to all those curly staff and human resource issues? Don’t be a hero. Outsource your HR challenges to the right place, and gain a true business partner as well as a spot-on labour specialist.....

We live in unpredictable times. On one hand, many workers are struggling to balance home working and family commitments during COVID-19. On the other, productivity is up for a significant portion of home workers who are now free of office distractions! With some workers also transitioning back to workplaces, employers are now faced with the delicate task of balancing both remote and on-site working. The challenge will be different for every worker, so flexibility is key. Embrace this unique opportunity to get to know your workers better – and boost employee engagement.....

As the COVID-19 pandemic bites, the number of unfair dismissal cases across Australia is soaring – with fewer parties prepared to negotiate to resolve workplace disputes. In a sign of the times, the pandemic is making both employers and employees more nervous and reactive than ever before. Yet professional HR consulting support can help you mitigate your risk and protect your business assets.....

Today the Fair Work Commission announced the annual wage increase which grants award covered employees a 1.75% pay rate increase, this impacts more than 2.2 million Australians who are paid the minimum wage.....

If you are a business owner, small, large, or in between, annual leave can be a major liability. If you do not manage it properly, it can become a problem. When wage rates go up every year, so does your annual leave liability. It makes good business sense to manage it.....

Guest Blog.....

It's been a very exciting couple of weeks at HR On Call. We have featured in the Small Business section of the Herald Sun on July 20. Paul Beauchamp was written an article on "Dialling up HR help". In this article one of our clients is quoted as saying "outsourced HR is the perfect solution for a company of 20. We are not big enough to justify someone full time, but we want to make sure we're doing everything right from a legal perspective" Peter Williams Co founder Infiti Telecommunications.....

You would be aware of what’s going on in the news with regards to the underpayment of wages. Some of the biggest brand names have faced the Fair Work Ombudsman’s scrutiny with regards to this topic and some of these include; Coles, Woolworths, McDonalds and 7-Eleven.....

The Fair Work Commission’s has announced its seventh annual wage review under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth). Australia’s minimum wage workers are now entitled to be paid $672.70 (this is an increase of $15.80) a week, or $17.70 per hour.....