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Archive for August, 2009

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What You Need to Know About Industrial Action

In this week’s Workplace Bulletin:

  • What you need to know about industrial action
  • Quick Tip of the Week: How to bargain in ‘good faith’
  • Workplace Helpdesk Q and A: Does superannuation accrue while an employee is on worker’s compensation?

Dear Reader,

A few of you have recently expressed concern about industrial action. How will it affect you now that new agreement making laws have been brought in, you ask? Find out in this weeks Bulletin…

What is industrial action?

Industrial action occurs when employees or employers intentionally cause a work stoppage.

There are a number of different forms of industrial action that can be taken. They include:

  • Strikes. Strikes occur when employee/s refuse to attend or perform their work.
  • Work bans. Work bans occur when employees refuse to perform all of their normal work duties.
  • Lock outs. Lock outs occur when an employer refuses to let employees attend work or pay them.

However, industrial action cannot be taken any time an employer or employee wishes.

CONTINUE READING

By Claire Berry posted August 25th 2009

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Helping You Assess an Employee’s Request for Flexible Working Arrangements

In this week’s Workplace Bulletin:

  • A checklist to help you assess an employee’s request for flexible working arrangements
  • Quick Tip of the Week: Access past Bulletins online for free!
  • Workplace Helpdesk Q and A: Can you ask an employee to take all their long service leave at once?
  • Workplace Wackies: Questionable employee excuses for being absent

Dear Reader,

You may recall from past Bulletins that come January 1 2010, many of your employees will have the right to request flexible working arrangements. And you will only have the right to refuse such a request on “reasonable business grounds”.

But don’t worry…

This handy checklist will help to steer you in the right direction when it comes time to decide whether to grant a request from an employee.

CONTINUE READING

By Claire Berry posted August 18th 2009

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Your 3 Most Frequently Asked Questions About Leave

In this week’s Workplace Bulletin:

  • Your 3 most frequently asked questions about leave
  • Quick Tip of the Week: How to make ‘Individual Flexibility Arrangements’
  • Workplace Helpdesk Q and A: Can you reject an employee’s request to take annual leave?

Dear Reader,

Here at the Workplace Helpdesk, we often receive queries from you about leave – annual leave, maternity leave, sick leave – the list goes on.

So this week, the Bulletin team has compiled and answered 3 of your most frequently asked questions about leave.

1. Accumulation of sick leave

Question: Is an employee’s sick leave entitlement cumulative? If so, for how long?

Answer: Yes. An employee’s unused sick leave entitlement is cumulative from year to year indefinitely.

2. Tips for managing excessive sick leave

Question: How can I manage excessive sick leave beyond managing it against our policy? Are there any other practical steps we can take? When an employee complies with our policies and provides medical certificates and notifies us correctly is there anything else we can do?

CONTINUE READING

By Claire Berry posted August 11th 2009

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