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In the last five years, with the development of information technology and mobile devices, the distinction between being “at work” and “off work” has been profoundly altered. Working time is no longer confined to being in an office and working days are both more intense and infinitely extendable, making monitoring working times even more complex.Switching off

Coupled with a global economy, many employees feel that they are permanently connected to their work, irrespective of time zones and local laws.
Continue Reading Switching off: making sense of working time laws in Europe

Doctor

Employers who proactively deal with employee absenteeism, and focus on assisting employees to return to work, can reduce the impact of employee downtime and disruption to working arrangements.

We’ve previously discussed some key tips about handling non-work-related illness and injury.  This post focuses on the importance of taking a collaborative approach when managing frequent or prolonged absences.

Frequent or prolonged absences due to stress, illness, injury or other personal reasons can be a major cause of frustration for employers. However, there are significant risks associated with taking punitive measures against employees who may be genuinely unwell, illustrated in several recent decisions.
Continue Reading Managing absenteeism: a collaborative approach

FinanceScott Morrison’s first Federal Budget announced the creation of the ‘Youth Jobs PaTH’ (Prepare-Trial-Hire) program – a program designed to encourage up to 120,000 unemployed youth into the workforce through skills training programs, paid internships and incentive payments for prospective employers. While further details will come to light over the course of the Federal Election campaign, employers who want to participate will need to look before they leap, to make sure their participation in the program doesn’t lead them, later on, to fall foul of the minimum wage provisions in awards and legislation. 
Continue Reading Are you on the right path with interns?

Penalty rates are a critical issue for Australian businesses – they already make up a significant proportion of many organisations’ total labour costs. Penalty rates will take on even higher importance in the future, as Australians continue the move towards working ‘flexibly’ – which often means performing work outside the traditional ‘business hours’ of 9am to 5pm, and regularly working at night, on weekends and during public holidays.
Continue Reading Who will score from the ‘penalty’ spot?