The Direction – November 2013
Note from our Director
Hello and Welcome to our November edition of ‘The Direction’. Last week, 18th to 22nd November, was National Telework Week aimed at raising awareness of the opportunities associated with teleworking. There are certainly considerations & risks with teleworking but there are also benefits for both employers and employees. Please contact us if you would like more information.
If you would like to discuss any of the issues covered in the newsletter or anything else please contact us on 07 3890 2066 or admin@hrbd.com.au.
Christmas celebrations
I have to remind you of the risks involved now we are in the season of Christmas celebrations. Whilst we certainly aren’t saying not to celebrate the end of a hard year, we do suggest that celebrations be held responsibly, remembering to remind employees of appropriate behaviour along the way. Some tips, especially if alcohol is involved, are that water and other non-alcoholic drinks are also available, keep to basic wine & beer and no spirits, serve food at the same time, remind employees to make arrangements to get home if they plan on drinking and remind them of appropriate behaviour –the workplace for which employers are responsible extends to work celebrations on or off site.
HR Events
We are sponsors of the IRSQ Christmas function in early December.
We’ll advise of our 2014 events in the New Year!
When times are tough
During tough times, HR programs may seem like a clear target for cost reduction. Training, rewards, incentives, safety, wellness and employee assistance programs are often viewed as optional extras or ‘nice to haves’ for when business is good, and completely expendable or pointless when business is tough, even though this is not the case and there are much more strategic reasons behind having these things in place. Of course, in tough times businesses can be forced to make difficult decisions, ones which are made reluctantly and with the understanding that they are not without consequence. Cutbacks to HR programs must however be made with caution and a thorough examination of the potential strategic, financial, and legal risk involved as there is the very real potential that cutbacks in these areas can end up costing much, much more than was saved.
Workplace Health and Safety is one such example. During a restructure it is tempting to shift resources and spending away from ‘support services’ such as WH&S. Changes to WH&S programs often occur incidentally, as part of wider cost saving initiatives or as part of unrelated organisational change. Beware! Research has shown that changes and cuts that affect workplace health and safety can have very negative consequences for an organisation during an economic downturn, especially where restructuring is involved, as WH&S risks INCREASE during these times.
This has the potential to result in an increase in workplace injuries and workers compensation claims at a time when the organisation can least afford it. Risk factors include increased work volume, work pressure, reduced personnel, poor morale, reduced focus on a safe work culture and uncertainty about the future.