Fair Work Australia's "landmark" equal remuneration ruling will pave the way for gender-based arguments to increase minimum pay in some modern awards, according to Lander & Rogers lawyers Daniel Proietto and Patrizia Mercuri.
Many HR managers fail to capitalise on the benefits of a unionised workforce because they mistakenly think those who bring problems to an employer's attention are somehow to blame for them, says ACTU director of policy and legal Joel Fetter.
In an age of vicarious liability, employers must be careful to clarify their expectations of employee behaviour beyond the workplace as well as within it, say lawyers Aaron Allegretto and Neil Napper.
Employers can improve their workplace culture and enhance their reputation by supporting employee volunteering, but the more involved they are, the more likely they are to incur liability, says lawyer Barry Sherriff.
Recent court rulings involving employees' social media "indiscretions" provide some guidance, but not certainty, for employers and workers, says employment lawyer Lisa Berton.
The Fair Work Act has many benefits for employers and workers alike, but its bargaining provisions - which are yet to be fully tested - could prove controversial, says ACCI chief executive Peter Anderson.
Transfer-of-business provisions introduced by the Fair Work Act have the potential to make life very difficult for HR managers, but if employers plan ahead, associated costs and complications can be avoided, says Hicksons partner Brad Swebeck.
Day-to-day performance discussions do not usually warrant the offer of a support person, but if it's possible the matter will escalate, it's safer to err on the side of caution, says Macpherson+Kelley Lawyers principal Andrew Douglas.
September 2009 changes to the 457-visa scheme were "so far reaching, and so hastily introduced", that even the Department of Immigration and Citizenship is still struggling to understand them, says Acacia Immigration Australia CEO Mark Webster.
Employers should tread carefully when fielding leave requests from new or expecting parents, as the risk of an adverse action or discrimination claim will be heightened, Kemp Strang lawyers warned guests at a breakfast briefing last month.
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