In the "Lisa's Little Tips" segment of This Working Life on ABC RN , Lisa Leong asked Anna Pannuzzo why we need rockstars in the office. In short, we do not need ego-inflated demigods in the office. We do need strong candidates with great attitudes who fit the culture of the organisation. But how do we retain high-performing employees?... Listen to the podcast here, which contains practical tips on hiring, onboarding, managing performance and retaining top talent > Hiring for attitude is one of the keys to successful recruitment and retention of top talent. Skills can always be developed, whereas a bad attitude towards tasks, clients, the employer or other staff can cause conflict and a toxic workplace. Another key when it comes to talent retention is awesome leadership and culture. There is a saying that “people don’t leave bad jobs, they leave bad bosses.” There are variations on this, such as “they leave bad managers” or “they leave toxic workplace cultures.” The sentiment is the same. Very rarely do top performers stay in a job just for the money. High-performing employees tend to be loyal to great leaders and awesome workplace cultures. They want their views heard and respected, their achievements acknowledged, and their leaders to be emotionally intelligent with strong communication skills. For more information, training and support, please contact us today. TO ACCESS MORE INTERVIEWS & PODCASTS, VISIT OUR MEDIA PAGE >

Compliance Alert: There have been changes to the Fair Work Act as part of the new Closing Loopholes laws.  Effective 1 January 2025, intentional underpayment of wages is a criminal offence in all jurisdictions of Australia. The financial penalties for criminal underpayment are severe and can include up to 10 years in prison. Small businesses (less than 15 employees) are protected from criminal prosecution if they follow the Voluntary Small Business Wage Compliance Code guidelines. What You Can Do Underpayments often happen because of a mistake or payroll error. This short article explains how to fix an underpayment: Overpayment and underpayment of wages   > To manage your payroll compliance, it’s important to: Review your payroll transactions and award classifications regularly. Review your HR protocols and train your HR and payroll teams whenever employment laws change. Follow the Fair Work Ombudsman’s guide to paying employees correctly, including the Voluntary Small Business Wage Compliance Code.   How WorkPlacePLUS Can Help Employees must be paid at least their minimum pay rates and entitlements. To support you in this area, WorkPlacePLUS offers: ✓   Payroll compliance reviews ✓   PD and classification reviews ✓   Comprehensive SCHADS Know Your Award training ✓   Customised Know Your EBA training Managing your payroll compliance doesn’t have to be an annoyance to tackle on your own. WorkPlacePLUS is here to support you with tailored payroll compliance solutions. For more information, please contact us  today. -- Victorian News On 1 July 2021, it became a crime for an employer in Victoria to: deliberately underpay employees dishonestly withhold wages, superannuation or other employee entitlements falsify employee entitlement records to gain a financial advantage avoid keeping employee entitlement records to gain a financial advantage These crimes are punishable by a fine of up to $218,088 or up to 10 years’ jail for individuals and a fine of up to $1,090,440 for companies. The offences apply to employers and to ‘officers’ of that employer. Which roles are considered ‘officers’ depends on the entity type of the employer, but it generally applies to roles that have significant decision-making responsibilities within a business, such as: directors office holders partners people who may make substantial business decisions on behalf of the employer Wage theft offences involve deliberate and dishonest conduct. Honest mistakes made by employers who exercise due diligence in paying wages and entitlements are not considered wage theft. Employers must provide their employees with at least the minimum pay and conditions outlined in the relevant award, workplace agreement, contract of employment or legislation and keep employee entitlement records. Victoria’s wage theft laws don’t impose new record-keeping obligations on employers. Various pieces of legislation already require employers to keep employee entitlement records, including about allowances, annual leave and long service leave. The wage theft laws make it a crime to deliberately falsify these records or fail to keep them to gain a financial advantage or prevent the exposure of a financial advantage. Download the Wage theft - employer fact sheet > If you have underpaid an employee, you should fix this as soon as possible. For more information or tailored assistance, please contact us today.

There have been some changes to pay rates in the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry ( SCHADS) Award [MA000100] . The changes apply from the first full pay period on or after 1 October 2025. Download the current 2025 SCHADS Pay Guide > Register in a SCHADS Know Your Award training session > Discover our payroll compliance solutions > Get in touch with WorkPlacePLUS >

Providing your leaders and teams with regular training is key to their effectiveness in adapting to change, resolving issues, mitigating risk, improving performance, and fostering your work culture. Training and development can also be seen as an organisational benefit which may assist with attracting and retaining staff. WorkPlacePLUS provides professional training programs designed to educate your team with research-based insights, best practice strategies, real-world case studies, and the latest legislative updates. Examples of training and development programs offered by WorkPlacePLUS: SCHADS: Know Your Award Respect & Responsibility in the Workplace ​ Mentally Healthy Workplace Training Performance Management Training Unconscious Bias in the Workplace ​ Practical Leadership & Professional Development Family & Domestic Violence (FDV) Contact Officer Training EEO, Bullying & Harassment Contact Officer Training Communication Mastery & Conflict Management Allied Health HR Training: Contracts & Wages Refresher Trainings Learn more > Why choose WorkPlacePLUS? ✓ We offer tailored learning outcomes and flexible delivery options. We take the time to understand your unique goals and requirements. ✓   Our interactive, face-to-face facilitation strengthens engagement and allows practical examples to be explored during the training, and participant questions can be answered in real time. ✓ We ensure our programs contain the most current employment legislation and regulatory compliance information. Plus, we incorporate your organisation's relevant workplace policies. ✓ We equip participants with the tools, knowledge and confidence to succeed in their roles. ✓ Our programs combine ethical, best practice strategies with direct, expert feedback from our facilitators. ✓ Our facilitators are professional HR consultants. ✓   The team at WorkPlacePLUS has extensive experience delivering training and development programs to businesses and organisations around Australia, from private practices and SMEs to multi-site hospitals, community organisations, government services, and First Nations organisations and teams. For more information or to book your program, please contact us today.

Why is it important for employers to keep track of changes to workplace laws and regulations?   As an employer, it is important to proactively manage HR-related risks. This applies to any workplace regardless of the industry or jurisdiction.   Legislative changes can increase employers’ non-compliance risk. The penalties for non-compliance have never been higher, even if it’s an honest mistake.   How can employers avoid unnecessary risks and costly penalties?   When laws and regulations change, it’s crucial to protect your business from unnecessary risks and penalties by: tracking and managing your employer obligations reviewing your human resources (HR), industrial relations (IR), payroll and Work, Health and Safety (WHS) practices   Free Download: Compliance Checklist for Employers   WorkPlacePLUS has developed a free 2025-2026 compliance checklist.     Track and manage your employer obligations with our quick-glance timeline of recent and upcoming changes to workplace laws and regulations. Download the checklist  >   HR Compliance and Risk Management Support   WorkPlacePLUS can support you to meet your employer obligations under workplace laws and regulations. We offer Complex HR consulting and outsourcing HR and employment reviews SCHADS reviews  and payroll compliance solutions Psychosocial risk assessments Workplace cultural reviews + more   Let WorkPlacePLUS take the stress out of workplace compliance so you can focus on the day-to-day needs of your business or organisation.   For more information, please contact us  today.

Office romances - what employers need to know Office romances can be risky business. In some cases, the consequences can be severely career-damaging, as you may have seen in recent high profile news stories across various media. While some workplace relationships may be unproblematic, employers need to see the potential red flags and mitigate the risks of inappropriate workplace conduct. Risks, red flags and tips for employers Hierarchy Even when a relationship appears consensual, the power imbalance of a workplace relationship between a supervisor and subordinate can raise the issue of whether the junior employee feels intimidated or pressured to consent. If the relationship goes wrong or ends badly, this could lead to a claim of bullying and harassment, as seen in the drawn-out legal battle between Amber Harrison and Seven West Media. Favouritism When a workplace relationship involves a supervisor and subordinate, is very difficult to avoid the perception of preferential treatment. If co-workers believe that a promotion or reward has been given on the basis of favourtism, this has a damaging impact on workplace culture and may also lead to discrimination claims. Sexual Harassment The biggest risk of workplace relationships is a claim of bullying or sexual harassment. For a remarkably expensive cautionary tale, you don’t need to look any further than the $37 million lawsuit between Kristy Fraser-Kirk and David Jones. Employers must implement appropriate policies and trainings mitigate the risk of sexual harassment and unwelcome conduct. Work Parties Work-related functions, conferences and events warrant a special mention in this article because alcohol consumption increases the risk of sexual harassment in the workplace. Even if the work function is held at an off-site venue or outside of normal work hours, it is still legally considered a workplace, and therefore appropriate workplace code of conduct still applies. Social Media & Out-of-Work Conduct In today’s hyper-connected world, personal relationships can quickly become public via social media. Images, posts, or viral moments shared online can expose private interactions and raise reputational or ethical concerns for employers. Employers may need to assess whether external behaviour impacts the workplace or breaches workplace policies, particularly when it involves senior staff or power imbalances. Respect, Responsibility and Appropriate Use of Power All workplaces should have a code of conduct or set of policies in place to address appropriate workplace conduct, yet these codes can be very difficult to manage. Businesses and organisations who are committed to promoting a workplace culture free from discrimination, bullying and harassment need to demonstrate that appropriate workplace conduct is built on respect, responsibility and appropriate use of power. Read Respect and responsibility in the workplace > Transparency, Conflict of Interest and Culture of Trust When workplace relationships and transparency aren’t managed properly, the fallout can be damaging not just for individuals but for the organisation’s reputation. Two recent high-profile examples include the ColdplayGate scandal oversears and the Super Retail sacking in Australia. Transparency fosters a culture of trust and leaders set the tone. If staff feel issues will be swept under the rug, culture deteriorates quickly. It 's importnant to have clear policies on declaring personal relationships to avoid perceptions of bias or unfair advantage. Whistleblower Protection It's important for employers to ensure safe reporting channels and non-retaliation. Terminating or punishing whistleblowers is not only unethical but exposes organisations to serious legal and reputational risks. Investigations & Fairness Complaints must be handled with procedural fairness, neutrality, and consistency. Learn more about our workplace investigations > How WorkPlacePLUS can help WorkPlacePLUS supports employers with a range of professional services including: Policy Development – Helping businesses craft clear guidelines on workplace conduct, disclosures, and reporting mechanisms. Training Leaders – Equipping managers to respond appropriately when concerns are raised. Independent Investigations – Offering impartial, compliant investigations into workplace complaints. Culture & Compliance Audits – Identifying gaps before they become public scandals. For tailored support and best practice HR advice you can trust, please contact us today.

What is the Aged Care Award pay guide? The Aged Care Award Pay Guide contains the minimum pay rates for full-time, part-time and casual employees in the Aged Care Award [MA000018]. Why is it important to refer to the newest pay guide? Pay rates change from 1 July each year and the Fair Work Commission may make further changes to pay rates throughout the year. To avoid unlawful underpayment, always refer to the newest pay guide. When do changes to pay rates in the Aged Care Award apply? There have been some changes to pay rates in the Aged Care Award [MA000018] . The changes apply from the first full pay period on or after 1 October 2025. Download the current 2025 Aged Care Pay Guide > Discover our payroll compliance solutions > Get in touch with WorkPlacePLUS >

1 in 5 Australians are affected by mental illness, and workplace stress is now widely recognised as a major workplace health and safety risk factor. Under various employment-based legislation, employers have a positive duty to manage the risk of psychosocial hazards and ensure that the working environment does not cause psychological or physical injury or worsen an existing condition. Psychosocial hazards are anything in the design or management of work that can affect an employee's mental health. Employers and managers play a crucial role in promoting a mentally healthy workplace and shedding some light on mental health issues that may be affecting colleagues at work. Your teams will naturally look to you for leadership and support, so it is important to know what support resources are available and how to discuss mental health with your staff. Here are 5 management tips promoting a mentally healthy workplace: 1. Conduct a Mentally Healthy Workplace Review – Take a WHS risk management approach to ensuring your workplace is equipped to manage the risk of psychosocial hazards in the workplace, including but not limited to bullying, discrimination, workplace sexual harassment and victimisation. 2. Educate and have tools ready – Review your organisation's mentally healthy workplace policy , learn about the signs and symptoms of work related stress and mental illness, provide training to your managers, and remind staff about the available support resources, such as an employee assistance program or contact officer . Explore Tools for workplace wellness > 3. Ask if everything is OK and listen – Look out for warning signs that something is off, such as mood, lateness, or a drop in performance; then act promptly and kindly to see if that person needs any support. 4. Arrange a workplace adjustment – For a staff member who is struggling, you can work together to negotiate a temporary adjustment of their role or workload, to help them get through their rough patch. Reasonable adjustments are changes to a job role or workplace that help someone with a mental health condition to keep working, or return to the workplace if they've taken time off. 5. Lead by example and keep the conversation alive – Encourage respectful behaviour by speaking out against gossip; demonstrate healthy work habits, such as taking regular breaks and “switching off” of work emails after hour. Reduce stigma and create a culture of support by discussing workplace wellbeing regularly, in meetings, newsletters and policy reviews . A positive, healthy workplace culture promotes mental wellbeing and brings out the best in people’s morale and productivity. Research also shows that a mentally healthy workplace can, on average, result in a positive return on investment. I f you or someone you know is in need of immediate assistance, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 . Do you have the proper skills and resources to foster the culture of your organisation? WorkPlacePLUS provides integrated human resource services, including tools for workplace wellness to help you foster a mentally healthy workplace. For more information, please contact us today.

Do you know how to spot bullying in your workplace? Workplace bullying is defined as persistent and repeated negative behaviour directed towards another person or persons in the workplace, that creates a risk to health and safety. Signs of bullying in the workplace: Repeated teasing or hurtful remarks. Sexual harassment such as unwelcome touching, sexually explicit comments and unwelcome sexual requests. Intimidation or psychological harassment such as mind games, gaslighting or ganging up on someone. Excluding someone from participating in work activities, or deliberately changing that person’s work schedule to make it difficult for them. Giving someone impossible jobs that can't be reasonable fulfilled, deliberately holding back information they need for getting their work done, or giving them pointless tasks that have nothing to do with their job. Pushing, shoving, tripping or grabbing someone in the workplace. Attacking or threatening a person or people with any object that can be used as a weapon. Initiation or hazing, where a person is made to do something humiliating or inappropriate in order to be accepted as part of the team. Not Bullying: Differences of opinion. Reasonable allocation of work. Reasonable restructuring of teams or timetables. Reasonable management action to direct and control the way work is carried out. Performance management and giving feedback. Reasonable disciplinary action carried out in a reasonable manner. A single incident of unreasonable behaviour is not considered to be bullying, but should not be ignored as it may have the potential to escalate. A supervisor managing poor performance, take disciplinary action, and direct and control the way work is carried out. Reasonable management action that’s carried out in a reasonable way is not bullying. Regular training programs play an important role in educating your staff on respect, responsibility and appropriate workplace conduct. Don’t assume that your managers and teams are aware of the most current policies, procedures and support resources in your workplace. Employees need to be able to discuss different types of behaviours in a safe, educational setting, and they also need understand their options for voicing a concern or lodging a complaint. For more information, please contact us today.

Family and domestic violence (FDV) is a workplace issue. It may be affecting some of your employees. Skip to Paid Family & Domestic Violence Leave > In the years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic, the FDV statistics in Australia were chilling. One in four Australian women had experienced physical, sexual or emotional abuse by a current or former partner. [1&2] More than half of those women had children in their care. [3] FDV against women was the single largest driver of homelessness for women [4] and contributed to more death, disability and illness in women aged 15 to 44 than any other preventable risk factor. [5] Alarmingly, the lockdown and isolation conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic created an escalation in FDV, with reports that FDV support service providers are struggling to meet the surge in requests for assistance. One of Australia's leading support groups said that two thirds of victims of violence or abuse from domestic partners reported an escalation of attacks, or were victimised for the first time, during COVID-19 lockdowns. If you require prompt confidential support for domestic violence or sexual assault, the national 24 hour hotline is 1800-RESPECT. It’s important for the workplace to be a safe space for staff who are victims of family violence to disclose and receive appropriate support. Are you aware of your employer obligations? Under Respect At Work legislation and Work, Health & Safety (WHS) laws, employers have a duty to proactively manage the risk of FDV in the workplace, including ensuring staff are protected from harm when they are working from home or remotely from another location. FDV can affect an employee's work performance and attendance. Employers need to be aware of the potential discrimination risks, including transferring, demoting or terminating employment of a victim of domestic violence due to a drop in performance or attendance. Skip to Anti-Discrimination Protections   > Paid Family & Domestic Violence Leave The Fair Work Act provides minimum entitlements for employees, including minimum legal entitlements of employees experiencing FDV. Under national workplace laws, workers dealing with family and domestic violence can: take paid family and domestic violence leave request flexible working arrangements, and take paid or unpaid sick or carer’s leave, in certain circumstances. On 27 October 2022, The Fair Work Amendment (Paid Family and Domestic Violence Leave) Bill 2022 passed both houses in parliament. This updates the National Employment Standards (NES). Employees currently or recently subjected to family and domestic violence are now entitled to 10 days of paid Family & Domestic Violence (FDV) Leave per year. FDV Leave is available to employees who have experienced violent, threatening, controlling, or abusive behaviour by a close relative, a member of an employee’s household, or a current or former intimate partner of an employee. The entitlement allows the affected employee to take time off from work to do things necessary to alleviate their situation, such as seeking support, finding safe accommodation, or attending court hearings, without putting their employment at risk. This entitlement applies to all employees, including casual employees and employees under enterprise agreements which already have paid FDV Leave entitlements. Employees have access to paid FDV Leave from the day they commence employment, and the entitlement will refresh every year. Anti-Discrimination Protections Experiencing FDV is now a protected attribute under the Fair Work Act . Effective 14 December 2023 under the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes) Act 2023 , it is unlawful to take adverse action (including dismissal) against an employee because they are currently or recently subjected to FDV. In addition, awards, enterprise agreements, policies and processes must not include terms that discriminate against an employee currently or recently subjected to FDV. Employers should ensure their awards, enterprise agreements, policies, processes and monitoring systems are up to date and compliant with workplace laws. It is also important for employers to understand their role in supporting employees experiencing FDV, including practical workplace supports and safety plans. To maintain a safe and supportive workplace, employers should consider the following actions: Monitoring and managing the workplace culture Acknowledging FDV as a workplace issue and educating your staff Establishing clear FDV policies and processes Regularly reviewing your WHS and anti-discrimination processes Implementing practical control measures for worker safety Ensuring staff understand their options regarding leave and flexible work arrangements Providing a contact officer and Employee Assistance Program with safety planning Providing external resources and referrals for additional specialised support WorkPlacePLUS provides services to assist employers in addressing FDV in the workplace, including comprehensive training and development programs . For more information, please contact us today. REFERENCES 1. Cox, P. (2015) Violence against women: Additional analysis of the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Personal Safety Survey 2012, Horizons Research Report, Issue 1, Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS), Sydney; and Woodlock, D., Healey, L., Howe, K., McGuire, M., Geddes, V. and Granek, S. (2014) Voices against violence paper one: Summary report and recommendations, Women with Disabilities Victoria, Office of the Public Advocate and Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria. 2. Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), 2012. 3. National Crime Prevention (2001) Young people and domestic violence: National research on young people’s attitudes and experiences of domestic violence, Crime Prevention Branch, Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department, Canberra; and Cox (2015) 4. 55% of women with children presenting to specialist homelessness services nominated escaping violence as their main reason for seeking help. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2012) Specialist homeless services data collection 2011-12, Cat. No. HOU 267, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Canberra. 5. Based on Victorian figures from VicHealth (2004) The health costs of violence: Measuring the burden of disease caused by intimate partner violence, Victorian Health Promotion Foundation, Melbourne.

We are all responsible for standing up against bullying, harassment, discrimination, violence and victimisation. Under Work, Health and Safety and anti-discrimination laws, employers have a legal duty to provide a safe workplace. This includes protecting employees from physical and psychological harm, preventing serious incidents, and fostering a culture of respect. Fostering respect and responsibility in the workplace has never been more important. Over the past decade, numerous reports have exposed the need to call out and address unacceptable workplace be haviours. For example, the Australian Human Rights Commission’s (AHRC) landmark national inquiry into workplace sexual harassment revealed that it was widespread and pervasive; occurring in every industry, in every location and at every level. From an organisational perspective, such insights pose significant risks to everyone involved, not to mention the fall out cost to the employers through lost productivity, high staff turnover, complaints, litigation, workers’ compensation claims, reputational damage, and toxic work cultures. To mitigate these risks, it’s important for leaders and teams to review the organisational values and code of conduct, and to understand the organisation’s expectations and requirements regarding: workplace safety and respect, workplace communications and behaviours, bystander actions, reporting and disclosure, the proper handling of conflict, complaints and grievances, differing roles and responsibilities, legal considerations, support resources, and more. The Respect at Work Act 2022 introduced a new positive duty  on employers to prevent and eliminate discrimination, workplace sexual harassment and victimisation in the workplace. This means proactive and meaningful action must be taken to prevent these unlawful behaviours regardless of whether someone has made a complaint. The Respect@Work Council and the AHRC recognises ongoing staff education as a key control measure in preventing serious workplace incidents such as sexual harassment. Training programs on sexual harassment, bullying and discrimination should never be a one-fits-all approach. It's important for programs to be targeted to the people in your organisation. For example: Board members, executive management and senior leaders need to understand their governance responsibilities and make high-level decisions on preventing and responding to serious workplace incidents. All employees need to understand the organisational values, rules, expectations and consequences around workplace attitudes and behaviours. Managers and supervisors need to competently role model behaviours, reinforce expectations, call out poor behaviours and normalise discussions about sexual harassment, bullying and discrimination. Contact officers, HR professionals, and WHS representatives need to know how to sensitively and safely triage reports or disclosures and provide appropriate support. WorkPlacePLUS offers an in-depth and interactive training and development program for managers and employees called RESPECT & RESPONSIBILITY. RESPECT & RESPONSIBILITY goes beyond the usual bullying, harassment and discrimination session by promoting your organisational values, effective communication and a positive workplace culture, while providing an understanding of relevant legislation and organisational policies. Our live, face-to-face delivery method is crucial to every organisation’s staff education strategy, as participant questions can be answered in real time and various practical examples can be explored during the training. The team at WorkPlacePLUS has extensive experience delivering training and development programs to businesses and organisations around Australia, from private practices and SMEs to multi-site hospitals, community organisations, and government services. Our facilitators are professional HR consultants. For more information or to book your training program, please contact us today. ► Discover more training programs >

A new law has increased employers' liability for costs in sexual harassment litigation.   The Australian Human Rights Commission Amendment (Costs Protection) Bill stipulates that respondents, typically employers, must cover claimants' legal costs even if only part of their claim succeeds. This is the last of the 55 recommendations from the Australian Human Rights Commission’s (AHRC) 2020 Respect@Work report to be executed.   Previously, employers would only pay costs if they acted unreasonably. This new change to employment law limits respondents' ability to recover costs and broadens the circumstances under which claimants can recover their expenses. This creates a significant risk for employers, as claimants can pursue multiple claims related to a single incident, increasing their chances of recovering costs if they succeed in any aspect of their case.   It's important for employers to proactively address sexual harassment to mitigate claims and comply with their obligations under workplace laws. Mitigation strategies include: Regularly reviewing the workplace culture and conducting WHS risk assessments to identify and prevent harmful workplace behaviours. Providing comprehensive training to all employees on the organisation’s code of conduct. Implementing robust policies and complaint protocols . Managing complaints effectively, including conducting fair, unbiased investigations .   Proactive measures are essential for employers to reduce liability and foster a safe, respectful work environment. For support or more information, contact us  today.