Workplace
A few months ago we were still unsure whether remote working would last. Many assumed that as the COVID-19 situation eased up and gatherings of people would be allowed again, everyone would be back into the office. But it is now clear: remote working is here to stay. Most companies in Australia have decided to […]
In a digital address to the McKell Institute today, Shadow Minister for Innovation, Technology and the Future of Work Clare O’Neil warned of the “tsunami coming for workers in predominantly male industries.” In June, Ms O’Neil outlined how COVID-19 disproportionately affected women because of the havoc it wreaked on female-dominated industries such as hospitality and […]
A former rider for Deliveroo has taken the food-delivery service to the Fair Work Commission (FWC) in an unfair dismissal case. Diego Franco’s contract was terminated in April after working for Deliveroo for three years. Mr Franco claims that he was an employee and was sacked without warning at the height of the pandemic. The […]
Australia’s unemployment rate increased to 6.9 per cent in September, however Australians should be focusing on another more troubling labour statistic. The latest ABS data showed that the underemployment rate also increased to 11.4 per cent in September (3 pts higher than a year ago). “Even before the pandemic, underemployment in Australia was persistently high,” said Matt […]
In a bid to weather the economic fallout from COVID-19, some businesses have asked their employees to take a temporary pay cut as a means of keeping the business afloat and keeping people employed. But is this actually legal? And what recourse do employees have if their employer does the wrong thing? Extraordinary times, extraordinary […]
The results of an Atlassian study examining how working remotely has impacted knowledge workers during the COVID-19 pandemic provides valuable insights into how to lead a fragmented workforce. The three-monthly long global study, which surveyed over 5,000 employees, found an employee’s readiness for remote work was based on three key factors: Household Complexity – the […]
The Government has unveiled the JobMaker Hiring Credit to incentivise businesses to hire young job seekers over the next 12 months. It is expected to create around 450,000 positions for young Australians and cost the Government $4 billion from 2020-21 to 2022-23. What is it? From tomorrow, eligible employers will be able to claim $200 […]
Official ABS figures released today show that the unemployment rate has fallen to 6.8 per cent in August, down from 7.5 per cent in July. This drop contrasts widespread predictions of rising unemployment. Despite stage 4 lockdowns in Melbourne and stage 3 lockdowns across regional Victoria, national employment increased by 111,000 people between July and […]
Research from payroll and HR software solutions provider, Ascender, shows that more than one in three (37 per cent) of Australians are willing to take a pay cut in order to work from home for the rest of 2020. What does the research say? The research involved 1000 Australians from all states in late June. […]
Industrial relations changes have been critical in helping small business employers keep their doors open and staff on their payroll throughout the pandemic. The flexibilities that apply to employers on the JobKeeper wage subsidy, particularly small to medium-sized enterprises, give them the ability to change their duties, their total number of ordinary hours, days and […]
Employers breathe a sigh of relief as the Fair Work Commission releases draft flexibility clauses that help employers and employees discuss flexible working arrangements during and beyond COVID-19. On Monday, Fair Work Commission president Iain Ross published a “draft award flexibility schedule” outlining the ideas that modern awards could adopt to help SMEs achieve flexible […]
Recent data from Telsyte has shown that nearly half (45 per cent) of Australian organisations are looking to increase cloud infrastructure spending in 2020, and 46 per cent of Australian businesses now have ‘cloud first’ policies when it comes to making new investments. Murray Dickson is the Director of Sales Enterprise (South Pacific) at CommScope, […]
Many businesses are unsure about whether they should ask employees to return to the workplace. We’ve taken a look at the different approaches that some companies have taken. What are some of the current approaches to returning to the workplace? Marie-Anne Lampotang, General Manager at Stone & Chalk in Sydney, noted that many start ups […]
Personal/carer’s leave must now be ‘calculated by reference to an employee’s ordinary hours of work’, reverting to the method of calculation prior to August 2019. On 13 August 2020, the High Court of Australia changed how paid personal/carer’s leave under the National Employment Standards is to be accrued (see Mondelez Australia Pty Ltd v AMWU […]
New research shows that 3 in 4 working Aussies are enjoying not having to commute to work since the covid-19 outbreak disrupted normal office work; as a result, urban planner Mike Day, is calling for more self-contained, walkable neighbourhoods. At the height of the pandemic, 46 per cent of employed Australians were working from home. […]
About 20% of Australian mature workers – aged 55 years and over – say that they have difficulties finding work or securing sufficient hours. One of the primary reasons for this is their age, even though they are the fastest-growing segment of the workforce. Older workers are more likely to be discriminated against in the […]
Workplace safety will become as important to a 2020s office as it is to an outdoor worksite or the mine, while flexible work is here to stay as employees call for permanent work-from-home options, the new 2020 FlexCareers Report reveals. Based on answers from 1622 employees across over a 12-day time frame (17 to 29 […]
Working in the white-collar sphere calls for a selection of soft and hard skills but the coronavirus crisis will force us to acquire some brand new ones – and fast, writes Nintex HR Director, Jacqueline Anderson. It’s no exaggeration to say the world has changed utterly this year and it’s happened at bewildering speed. COVID-19 […]
To encourage businesses to take a stand against discrimination and push for a progressive future, Global Workplace Providers Instant Offices have gathered and analysed data on what diversity and inclusion looks like in workplaces around the world. Delving into which countries had the most inclusive workplaces based on The Kantar Inclusion Index, the top ten countries […]
The CEO of a national workforce management company is calling on Australian employers to rethink the need for their people to be sitting in an office five days a week, instead focusing on what individual workers need to achieve without a set time allocated. APG Workforce CEO Glenn Redman says his organisation has employed many […]
