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What a great time to focus on HR!

What a great time to focus on your HR strategy, activities and actions. Not only has there been a...
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WH&S is part of HR

Whilst many may disagree.  I have always thought that, whilst Workplace Health & Safety is a separate degree at...
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Support and Guidance to ensure we are all OK

  I love the question, and am an advocate for, RUOK?  Just look at the blogs we have written...
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It’s not healthy to compare

  It’s not healthy for us to compare our businesses or organisations or even individuals for that matter.  Do...
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Its not always about being better or not trying hard enough

  Someone recently said something to me, “If people aren’t succeeding, it just means they aren’t trying hard enough”...
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There is good and bad with AI in the workplace

  When I am asked about AI when talking to other HR professionals, my usual response is, ‘Just because...
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Managing Psychosocial Risks is simply good HR

Some time ago now Safe Work Australia amended the Workplace Health & Safety Regulations to include specific duties for...
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Right to Disconnect?!

    You may have heard (actually I am sure you have) the federal government has proposed legislation as...
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Workers Compensation Claims – Are they worth appealing?

Workers Compensation Claims, are they worth appealing?  Yes they are!  And here at HR Business Direction, we have appealed...
Resilience in the workforce

Building a Resilient Workforce

  It’s pretty obvious with the events of this year particularly with COVID-19 that you want to ensure you...
Leadership during uncertain times

Leadership During Uncertain Times

COVID-19 and now the fall out of it, including now being in a recession has certainly made the environment...
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Employees and Family Domestic Violence

  It’s National Safe Work Month and Mental Health Month this month, October 2020. With this and the effects...
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RUOK? In 2020

What a year to be asking the question RUOK?!  Perfect timing!  There certainly has been events in our country...
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Strategic HR Planning

The value of planning is well-recognised and strategic plans, business plans, succession plans and marketing plans are every day...
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Importance Of Communication During Rehabilitation And Injury Management

The rehabilitation and injury management of employees does not stop due to COVID-19 and like every aspect of business,...
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Considerations When Approaching An Organisational Restructure

With the impact and uncertainty due to COVID-19 at this time, businesses may be needing to reduce costs and restructure...
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Engagement During Tough Times

We have received a few questions around employee engagement during these recent though times and whilst in Queensland we...
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The Dreaded “R” Word

The Dreaded R word The dreaded R word!  Yep, Redundancy.  There I said it!  Redundancies particularly at this time...
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Adjusting Workforce Plans

  Workforce planning is defining what the organisation is going to do to meet the workforce needs of the...
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Keeping Values Alive

  At HR Business Direction, we understand that its even more difficult to retain culture and ensure employees are...
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How To Handle Difficult Conversations In The Workplace

  There are lots of different types of difficult conversations in the workplace. Whether it be requesting something of...
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Workplace Investigations are a good thing!

  When you receive a complaint or grievance which needs to be investigated either informally or formally, it is...
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Are we really serious about Workplace Bullying?

There’s no doubt that the movement to stamp out bullying in the workplace has come a long way.  I...
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RUOK? But…

I have spoken previously about the difficulty for employers in managing employees when they are impacted by personal issues. ...
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How much control & choices do you give employees?

So, how much control do you give your employees over their distractions at work?  Well, you should if you...
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Terminations: If you think it’s harsh – it’s usually harsh (but check first)!

  Under Industrial Relations legislations here in Australia terminations can be seen to unfair or harsh, unjust or unreasonable....
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Difficult Conversations: You shouldn’t be aggressive but you need to be firm

  So often I find Leaders not wanting to have those difficult conversations, and there are many different types...
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Strong Leaders are Vulnerable

  When the chips are down, how do your staff describe you as a leader? In times of stress,...
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Achieving Your Leadership Goals: From Amateur to Pro

  As we reach the half way point of 2017, it’s only natural to look back to the start...
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Wellbeing at work is more than Happiness

  More and more business owners are realising both the monetary and moral benefits of high employee wellbeing at...
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The Value of Org Charts: Look at the white space

  Whilst it is true that Change has always been ‘the only constant in life’, the pace, magnitude, and...
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Leading on Purpose

How do you start your day? Do you get up a 5am for a comprehensive workout followed by a...
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Upping Your Coaching Game: 10 Tips for Busy Leaders to Become Better Workplace Coaches

  Coaching is one of the most impactful tools that a leader has at their disposal to support, and...
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The dangers of ignoring or accepting Risk

  Unfortunately workplace accidents, serious injuries and fatalities occur everyday. What seems to grab our attention the most though...
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If You Have Performance Management Discussions….

  Managing Performance and having those conversations about poor behaviour or performance are difficult – but if you are...
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The One Resolution You Should Make In 2017

  Coming into 2017 Gary Keller’s excellent book “The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results” was...
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Maybe Resilience IS the Answer

            Resilience is another buzz word, among others, in the world of work at...
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The Forgotten Leadership Conversation: Reluctant Leaders

  If you were from another planet and came to earth to study leadership you’d probably get a fairly...
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Take Responsibility for Poor Performers

  Have you ever been in a situation where you have had an employee that may not be performing...
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Did WH&S kill customer service?

  In days gone by, customer service could be as simple as having your groceries carried to your car....
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Use Strengths and Develop Weaknesses

  When recruiting for a new role the recruiting person aims to get the best applicant for the job...
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Business Owners: Are you your business’s greatest liability?

  Imagine sitting on a tropical far off beach, with umbrella drink in hand while your bank account steadily...
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Listen to your team!

Listen to your team! I can’t express the need to listen to your team enough.  I was reminded when...
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Safety through my eyes as a CEO

At HR Business Direction, we were honoured to have been announced as a finalist in the 2016 Queensland Safe...
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Is your workplace as ‘safe’ as you think?

Has your organisation seen a reduction in worker’s compensation claims or incidents recently? Does your organization’s safety performance rise...
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Three Leadership Lessons From The 2016 US Presidential Race

On of 27th of September over 84 million people in the US were keenly tuned in to witness a...
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Is safety leadership a myth?

Thinking of yourself as a leader and actually being one is a different matter. Additionally, the concept of ‘safety...
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Management by Policies

Do you manage by policies?  Well, a lot do, so don’t worry, you’re not on your own. I appreciate...
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3 Simple, Sharable Tips To Help Make Sure UROK

Recently we celebrated RUOK? day in workplaces all around Australia. RUOK Day is a fantastic initiative designed to inspire...
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Workplace Safety – Let’s Get Real

Zero Harm, Safety First, and Goal Zero-are the safety mantras of the modern workplace.  We certainly seem to talk...
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R U OK? But where do you draw the line?

At HR Business Direction, we are proud supporters of RUOK? in the promotion of regular, meaningful conversations in the...
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Does your Organisational Structure allow for Innovation?

I don’t think that innovation is anything new in business, however, what might be new is the expectation or...
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Structure: The Secret to High Performance Teams

Teams are an essential part of work, but not all teams are created equal. Some teams, known as High...
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Want to improve your people and organisational performance?

I bet you do!  As you know there isn’t one approach to it and at HR Business Direction we...
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Leading High Performance Teams: People AND Profits

When the chips are down, how do your staff describe you as a leader? In times of stress, most...
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Is Workplace Culture on your business agenda?

Organisational culture is talked about a lot in the world of business these days.  I hope that it has...
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Employee Engagement – Work on Your Side

If employee engagement is a two-way street, then as an employer you had better work on your side of...
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The Mystical Concept of Employee Engagement

Employers want employees who are positive towards the organisation they work for and its values.  They want employees who...
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Create a Culture to Achieve Your Goals

Although we work with clients to identify or change their workplace culture, we also talk to a lot of...
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A Clear Vision for Employee Engagement

Employee engagement is often heralded as the missing link for organisational success, and with good reason. Looking at the...
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Creating a Workplace Culture of Action

From Knowing to Doing: Fostering a bias for Action. Have you ever been to a course or professional development...
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The Future of Enterprise Bargaining Agreement

Enterprise bargaining came into play in 1993 so it has been around for at least 20 years now.  Whilst...
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What You Need To Know About Employee Engagement

We’ve all heard about employee engagement, but what is it really? Put simply, employee engagement is those who work...
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Why Those at The Top Should Take a Look at Their Workplace Culture

Investment in your workplace culture will create more profits however it will also decrease unwanted costs in the business...
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5 Reasons Everyone Should Care About Workplace Health & Safety

For small to medium sized businesses, implementing proper Workplace Health and Safety Systems can seem like an enormous and...
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Everything you need to know – Appealing a Workers Compensation Claim

So your insurer has made a decision about a workers compensation claim, but you disagree with it. What do...
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Get On Board With Workplace Health & Safety

The amount of times we have encountered Board Members or Business Owners who are completely in the dark about...
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Why a focus on people is Integral to Mergers & Acquisitions

Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) happen for many different reasons and in businesses that have employees, the people within these organisations...
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The Do’s & Don’ts of Injury Management

When an employee becomes injured, either work-related or not, it can be a difficult and confusing time for the...
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4 Benefits of an Independent Workplace Investigation

Whatever your industry, there will always been incidents that occur in the workplace. Whether large or small, it’s important...
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Questions to ask when engaging consultants focusing on your people

The many Business Owners and Senior Managers that we work with and discuss people issues with obviously have a...
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WH&S Planning – Why you need to do it

In previous articles I have written about the need to integrate WH&S in business operations and thinking big about...
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Reasons Why a Focus on People is Required Regardless of the Size of Your Business

  So, does size really matter? Not when it comes to business it doesn’t.   It doesn’t matter what size...
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Managing by Data and KPI’s and the impact on workplace culture

Data is beautiful. Data provides us with an objective shared language that can cut through ambiguity to make the...
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Consequences of not having an employment contract

So, you don’t think you need an employment contract for your employees?  ‘It’s just a piece of paper with...

Workers Compensation Claims – to review or not to review?

It seems just about everyone has heard a workers compensation horror story,- a claim that was accepted which shouldn’t...

The real questions for employers to ask about social media

When it comes to employment law social media is still very new.  There have been cases about employees’ ‘behaviour’...

How leaders can boost employee engagement

Great leaders know that feedback is the breakfast of champions. Work based feedback helps us to answer fundamental questions...

How Employee Consultation can be a waste of time!

There I said it!  Now, I know I have said before not to consult to tick a box and...

Workplace Health & Safety – is starting small the key?

I enjoy the opportunity my work provides me to meet all sorts of people from various industries and kinds...

Why your HR Strategy has to be unique to you

Why do we in society, generally speaking, always tend to apply a blanket approach to everything?  This is a...

As a Business Leader – Well-being is your business

Ensuring high staff well-being at work is not only the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to...

Lack of communication is reducing productivity and performance

A situation in which something increases in size at a faster and faster rate. The snowball effect is what...

WH&S Investment pays Dividends!

As a workplace health and safety practitioner I find that, the biggest barriers cited by businesses are concerns that...

The impact of Employees Personal lives on Employee Productivity

Regardless of what level or role you have in a business, we all know through our own experiences that...

Risk Assessments and Control on these Awesome Offices?

Recently I have been hearing more about the ‘cool’ employers.  The ones we all envy that have flexible fun...

There is value in relationships as opposed to ‘Here have it now!’

We certainly live in a society today where people are becoming accustomed to getting what they want or what...

How to get your team engaged and motivated about their work

If you’re like most people, you use January as a time to reset – a time to think about...

Great workplaces don’t mean maximising employee performance and productivity

I read an article recently about the 20 best workplaces in retail and it was interesting to see the...

Employee Engagement: Lessons from a Perfect Smile

When thinking about the health of a business, there are many lessons that we can learn from the world...

How to be more proactive than relying on the minimum employment period?

Some of you may be more familiar with the term ‘Probationary Period’.  Prior to the introduction of the Fair...

Buyer Beware – Generic WH&S Systems

Generic:                 Characteristic of or relating to a class or group of things;...
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Connectivity is not employee engagement

  Working out of hours, being available 24 / 7 and being ‘connected’ to work doesn’t mean employees are...

Measuring Workplace Culture: Move Beyond People Watching

I’ve always thought that workplace culture is a business’s greatest differentiator and asset, because while competitors can copy what...

Get the most out of your workplace health & safety system

Imagine a workplace where your physical and mental health is of no particular concern or priority despite a WH&S...

Get a return on investment from your WH&S

Do you feel as though you are chasing your tail with workplace health and safety? Often I meet people...

Use workplace compliance as a guide to help maximise employee performance and productivity

How about that as a conversation starter!  Whilst there are a number of Australian regulatory bodies that businesses come...

The challenges of getting a Board on board about upfront compliance – Why is it so hard?

If prevention is better than cure, why is it so hard to get Boards to be proactive about compliance?...

Consultation with employees isn’t about ticking a box

Isn’t it sad that at times we need legislation to tell us to communicate and consult with our employees...

Workplace Culture: A Leader’s Ultimate Tool or Ultimate Downfall?

I think that the true work of business leaders is best summed up by management guru Edgar Schein who...

When it comes to WH&S beware of aiming low

When it comes to WH&S beware of aiming low.  The desire to just ‘do the bare minimum’ or ‘comply...

The Future Workforce – A lot to consider & plan!

Change is happens, well I think so anyway. This makes it hard to predict the impact on the future...

The benefits in asking R U OK? – When work is not the problem…

Sometimes the familiar daily routines such as going to work can provide security, a welcome distraction, or comfort when...

“R U OK?” Day: 1 out of 365 isn’t enough

We shouldn’t need “R U OK” day. There, I said it. Don’t get me wrong, “R U OK?” day...

Having an Employee Assistance Program isn’t enough!

When I read about mental health initiatives implemented in the workplace I can’t help but think that it all...

RUOK? Yes I am, thanks for asking

In the spirit of RU OK day on 11 September 2015 I would like to share a personal RUOK...

Ensuring a ROI from your staff ensures a Mentally Healthy Workplace

For those of you who know us at HR Business Direction, you would know that we are very passionate...

M&A Success hinges on Workplace Culture

With market conditions emerging from the cold winter of the GFC, 2014 saw a 7 year high in Merger...

Cashing out annual leave – is it a good option?

Last year submissions made to the Fair Work Commission are calling for greater provision be made in Modern Awards...

2 important things to remember when managing work related injuries & illnesses?

How does your business manage non-work-related injuries and illnesses- Well, poorly or not at all? I have become involved...

Do you know where all your costs are in the Business?

Not only do we want to increase our EBIT or net operating profit as I recently wrote about and...

Tips for Employee Engagement & Disengagement

“Monday morning feels so bad, Everybody seems to nag me… I’ve got Friday on my mind”. This Easy Beats...

Would you or could you represent yourself in the Fair Work Commission?

So would you represent yourself in the Commission or the like?  Easy you might say. Well actually, maybe not. ...

Increase employee performance and productivity to increase your EBIT

Whether you are a Business Owner, Executive Manager, Manager or Board Member, if you or your Organisation employ people,...

How to get on track with your WH&S

From time to time I hear someone say something along the lines of ‘this WH&S thing has gone overboard-we...

How to lead towards your desired workplace culture

You would have heard the saying before, ‘It has to come from the top’ and how true it is!...

Leadership Development: Close the gaps in your strategy

When most people think about leadership development they’re missing the point. When most people think about leadership development they...

Importance of managing employees personal safety and security in a modern work enviornment

The workplace landscape is changing. Flexibility in working arrangements combined with readily available technology mean that 9-5 desk jobs...

Approving personal leave – the case for flexible policies

Most businesses have a policy about the approval of personal leave, even if it’s only a verbal instruction issued...

Flexibility in the workplace- speaking from experience

Lucky for me I have worked full time, part time, job share, different working hours and from home.  So...

Does your Workplace Culture Support or Strangle Your Business’s Strategy?

In my job as a psychologist helping businesses to support and get the most out of their staff I’m...

Look beyond employment restraints in contracts for solutions!

The employment landscape is changing – from permanent full time roles to casual employment, part time employment, working remotely,...

WH&S Due Diligence – Are your Officers doing enough?

A Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking has health and safety duties under the Work Health and Safety Act....

Managing the Employee Employer Relationship through Communication

The relationship between an employer and employee is a contractual one. It is often referred to as a contract...

To Find Leadership Look Beyond Labels

Leadership is perhaps the most written about topic in Business and Human Resources. This is unsurprising given that all...

What’s missing when it comes to gender diversity in the workplace?

Now I have to say before you start reading my blog, it is based on working female and male...

WH&S Due Diligence – Can you trust your advice?

Most Board Members, Directors, Business Owners and Managers would agree that Workplace Safety in Australia is subject to a...

Managing Personal Relationships in the Workplace

Personal Relationships in the Workplace….  When asked in the past about relationships in the workplace I have said it...

Understand your rights as an employer

I’m often asked the question “Do employers have any rights at all?”  This is usually asked out of frustration...

Key Considerations in Implementing Workforce Plans

Like any plan, the key is not the plan itself but in implementation.  This is the case therefore also...

Too much sign noise can have an adverse affect on WH&S culture

Last week I was having a coffee at a café when I noticed that there were lots of signs....

Social Media in Recruitment – are we being too harsh?

It’s well known that HR managers and others responsible for recruitment often have recourse to social media sites such...

Succession Planning – How far do you go?

I have found over the many years I have worked in Human Resources optimising business and individual performance,  very...

WH&S Risks – If you think you don’t have any you’re not doing it right!

Some years ago now, I mentioned to a colleague that I had taken up an OH&S management role in...

Have you considered Future Trends for your HR Strategy

A Business Strategy, which everyone knows and understands as being essentially the long term plan of action designed to...

Managing Non-Managers

One of the biggest challenges I come across in my profession is what I have come to call ‘non-managing’...

Managing the Future Workforce with Individualism and the new globalisation

Globalisation, or, more specifically, Globalisation 2.0, has recently been identified by Hay Group as one of the “six megatrends…likely...

Performance Reviews still add value regardless of all the hype

Performance Reviews, what a popular topic talked about amongst HR professionals at the moment.  In fact, to be honest,...

Tips on keeping employees safe over the holiday period

The ‘festive’ season is here again, and for many of us this means an opportunity to wind down and...

Increase female participation rates in the workforce by 25%

Here’s the commitment made by members of the G20 following the summit in Brisbane in 2014: “Promoting greater participation...

Change management needs to be applied so the human factor is always considered.

That might sound a bit harsh but seriously does anyone really think?  OK, I am being a bit harsh,...

10 aspects of HR that influences Safety performance

Workplace Health and Safety is an issue that many HR professionals would prefer to leave well alone and leave...

Industrial Relations law can drive productivity

Many business owners view industrial relations as something with which they must comply rather than an important opportunity to...

Communication is vital for business success

There was recently talk in the media about teaching students work ethics and one of the examples given was...

Managing Employees – Virtual or Bricks & Mortar?

In the current business environment of globalisation and evolving technology, the world of work has changed dramatically. Information can...

The Risks of Corporate Outings

When it comes to workplace social events many companies these days will give at least a cursory thought to...

Unlimited annual leave – a backpacker in a chocolate shop?

It’s Safe Work Month and I’m proud to be part of the generation which recognised the importance of safety...

A different approach to safety

It is Safe Work Month this month and as part of showing our support in encouraging people to get...

Comply with workplace legislation for all the benefits not the punishment.

Is the deterred punishment, really? Why do we feel we have to punish ‘bad’ behaviour and let good behaviour...

Culture or Compliance?

I am fortunate to have worked with businesses in a variety of industries, of various sizes and various stages...

Things to know about before a merger or acquisition

Over the past 18 months or so, M&A activity has been steadily increasing.  Whilst most of us don’t think...

Unmasking the ‘Masters of Disguise’

The subject of mental health has been very prominent over the past few months following the suicides of high...

What about me?

So, what about me? Well, that’s YOU!, (Business Owners and Managers) not me. I ask this question as, working...

Time to have a chat….5 reasons why you shouldn’t put it off

I’ll bet you won’t find it hard to think of someone you know (maybe even yourself) who’s put off...

Connectivity – an emerging WH&S Risk

Social Media is an interesting beast. There are plenty of benefits, you can reach a wider, targeted audience in...

Performance is in the Eye of the Beholding Manager

I have often encountered an interesting inconsistency when working with managers who have inherited new staff or are themselves...

Kids in the workplace – flexible and engaging or a bad idea?

I recently read an article about a ‘progressive’ employer who permitted employees to bring their children with them to...

A Six-Hour Work Day… How About it?

I read an article recently that an experiment is to be carried out in the Swedish city of Gothenburg...

Treading the fine line

The decision to engage contractors is often fraught with danger and managing the relationship frequently requires treading the fine...

Don’t let a workplace injury let your relationships sour

Don’t let a workplace injury let your relationships sour   Christina Willcox MHSc; PostGradDIp OHS; BBus Workplace Health &...