Archived News for Human Resource Professionals
The Australian Human Resources Institute, in conjunction with Deakin University, has released the findings of its Fair Work Act research project.
The research canvassed HR professionals and their approach to the Fair Work Act (2009), including how they believe the legislation has impacted on their workforce and its overall effectiveness.
Also reported are the Act’s influence, as perceived by survey respondents, on the organisations they work for and the workplace practices they deploy when formulating, negotiating and concluding employment contracts, as well as on their role as HR professionals.
Chandran appointed as CHRO at Leighton
Leighton Holdings has announced Dharma Chandran as the company’s new Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO), ending Craig van der Laan’s interim leadership of the company’s HR function.
Victoria backs ABCC
Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu has urged the Federal Government to back down from its plan to dismantle the office of the Australian Building and Construction Commissioner, saying that the proposed legislation would significantly jeopardise infrastructure building and promote unsafe building practices.
Mining drives job advertising
ANZ has released its Job Advertisement Series for January, finding that the number of advertised places has boomed in the country’s mining states, while recording a stablising of advertisements in non-mining regions.
Fair Work Ombudsman issues clarification of IFAs
The Fair Work Ombudsman has issued a clarification of the use of individual flexibility arrangements (IFA) and issues that the Fair Work Ombudsman can investigate.
ACTU inquiry into insecure work
The ACTU is conducting an inquiry into insecure work, defined as work which provides workers with little social and economic security, and little control over their working lives.
Community sector wins pay dispute
Fair Work Australia has ruled in favour of a large number of community sector workers, ordering a pay rise of between 19 and 41 per cent.
Ai Group hits out at Safe Rates
The Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) has reiterated its opposition to the Federal Government’s planned Road Safety Remuneration Bill, saying that it will not improve safety on Australian roads.
Government encourages uptake of Wage Connect Subsidy
The Australian Government’s new Wage Connect Subsidy has assisted 516 long term unemployed Australians to a paying job this month.
Business lines up against abolition of ABCC
Business organisations including the Business Council of Australia, the Housing Industry Association and the Master Builders Association are lobbying the government to abandon its plans to replace the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC).
Australia's unemployment outlook: expert view
Professor Geoff Borland, Professor of Economics at the University of Melbourne, has provided an overview of unemployment in Australia in a recent article on The Conversation.
Unfair dismissals cases increasing
Information released by Fair Work Australia shows that unfair dismissal claims have nearly doubled since 2008-09, the last year of operation of the Work Choices system.
Attitudes to over-50s need to change: report
A report prepared for the Financial Services Council by Westfield Wright into attitudes towards older workers has found that three in ten workers over the age of 50 have experienced age-related discrimination, and that among the over-50s, those earning under $80,000 are more than twice as likely to have experienced discrimination as those on higher incomes.
Fair Work Australia approves Newlands Coal work contracts
A decision by Fair Work Australia to allow 154 workers at Xstrata’s Newlands coalmine in Queensland to opt out of a collective union agreement in favour of common law contracts could have wider implications for future work relations cases.
More single mothers back to work under reforms
More single mothers have joined the workforce while others have increased their hours of employment since two sets of major welfare reforms were implemented, University of Canberra researchers have found.
Long-term unemployment rises
The percentage of long-term unemployed (people unemployed for one year or more) was 19% in July 2011 compared to 18% in July 2010 according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Of these, around 83,000 (or three quarters of long-term unemployed people) were looking for full-time work in July 2011.
For long-term unemployed people the most common difficulties in finding a job were 'own health or disability' (17%), 'lacked necessary skills or education' (13%), followed by 'too many applicants for available jobs' (11%).
The majority of unemployed people, (81%) were unemployed for less than one year (short-term unemployed), with over a quarter of these (26%) having been unemployed for less than four weeks.
Call for comment on international labour agreement for tourism and hospitality
Public comment has been invited on a new template labour agreement to help the tourism and hospitality sectors attract skilled workers from overseas.
Qantas engineers pay deal approved
Fair Work Australia has approved a pay and conditions agreement struck between Qantas and the licensed engineers union late last year.
SME study shows cash can't buy creativity
An open, supportive and stimulating workplace is more important than pay or bonuses in driving the success of fast-growth small-to-medium enterprises, an RMIT University study has shown.
Inquiries into Fair Work amendment bills
The Senate Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Legislation Committee is currently conducting inquiries into two Fair Work Amendment bills.
Victoria seeks new Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commissioner
The Board of the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC) has called for applications for the position of Commissioner.