Newsletters

March 2012 - In this Edition

Poor and lengthy interview process frustrates candidates - it seems that despite the current skills shortage and the amount of press on the subject, employers still are not providing an effective recruitment process, and we are seeing that as a result candidates are becoming increasingly frustrated and in some cases are withdrawing their application…

Job losses are still on the rise as confidence wanes - an ‘overwhelming majority’ of CFO’s in Australia’s top-listed companies have no plans to increase staff numbers this year, and in fact expect employee numbers to drop…

Just a thought - it seems that Companies have yet to learn the importance of an effective Induction process...

In the news - Fair Work Ombudsman orders $210k back pay for West Sydney workers, CPI remains at 3.1% for the December 2011 reporting period, Community Sector win equal pay decision, WorkCover NSW Safety Alert – Working with Forklifts…
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September 2011: In this Edition

The Mature Age Worker - Australia's shrinking resource - There are around 4 million baby boomers that will be leaving the workforce in the next 20 years. These experienced workers have plenty to offer business and so organisations that can retain such competent people in the workforce should be well prepared to cope with changes in labout supply

Workplace Health and Safety Legislation 2012 - Is your business ready for the change? The Commonwealth, States and Territory Government have agreed to harmonise workplace health and safety laws including Regulations & Codes of Practice so that they are uniform in each jurisdiction.

Just A Thought - Seems to be the rank and file are mobilising and rallying against their employers demanding better pay and conditions.

In the News - ACTU warn against the 'casualisation' of the Australian workforce, shorter after-school shifts in the retail industry, job vacancies decline by 1.3% from the May quarter and more than 1 in 10 families with dependants were jobless in June of this year - a figure that has remained steady for the past few years.

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February 2011: In this Edition

Government Superannuation Reforms - An Australian worker, currently aged 30, can expect up to $40k more in their retirement superannution fund following reforms recommended by the Federal Government.

Negativity at Work - One of the most difficult things to manage at work is negativity, and since the Financial Crisis, such emotions have become more noticeable!

Just A Thought - What are going to be the consumer trends for 2011 and have they already started?

In the News - new job ads continue to increase; leave loading may apply to termination pay; new Work Health & Safety Act from 1 January 2012; unemployment rate at 5%

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January 2011: In this Edition

Paid Parental Leave - Much has been written about the Government's Paid Parental Leave Scheme which became effective from 1 January 2011. It is important to consider how this scheme can assist with the retention of talented staff.

Good Economy = Salary Negotiations - The stronger dollar combined with good employment figures and the emerging skills shortage creates a good environment for salary negotiations. It seems there will be increasing pressure to look after staff initiatives.

Just A Thought - Why is it that there are those at work who are diligent, hard working and don't cause any trouble, yet are overlooked for advancement?

In the News - Definition of "small business" changes from 1 January 2011; changes to the rate of Payroll Tax; changes to Consumer Law; making young workers safer in the workplace

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October 2010: In this Edition

Non Verbal Communication - There was a saying: "you don't get a second chance to make a first impression" and never was a truer statement made when we consider the humble handshake.

Office Safety and Working from Home - Traditional working hours and offices are more flexible now than previously. So where is your office, who is responsible for it and what are the risks?

Just A Thought - How confidential are we really? And what are the consequences of breaching company confidentialty requirements?

In the News - National Workplace Safety Legislation stoush; Melbourne Cup loss of productivity; Australian unemployment rate

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4^th edition

HRM Consulting – Newsletter September 2009,

Welcome to the September 2009 HRM Consulting Services Newsletter. In this month’s edition we look at the following issues:-

-         Award Modernisation,

-         National Occupational Health & Safety Legislation,

-         Just a Thought – The Key to Selling is Listening, and

-         Postscript,

Before we get started, I thought it prudent to look at some news of the last couple of weeks…

-         Days lost due to Industrial unrest rose dramatically prior the introduction of the new ‘Fair Work’ legislation;

-         Absenteeism costs are $26m per year with an average of 8.6 days per person being taken (across all sectors). This means approx 3.7 staff are away on any given day;

-         Talented professionals are on the move. A recent poll of [global] corporations shows that 20% of their best and brightest have changed their companies. This is double those being made redundant;

Award Modernisation… as a part of the Federal Governments ‘Fair Work’ legislation/reforms, work is well underway in developing modern awards which become operational from 1 January 2010.

The purpose of the modern awards is to replace the myriad of differing awards and industrial agreements currently operating throughout Australia.   Under a formal Government request, the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) is required to complete the award modernisation process by 31 December 2009.   This means approximately 130 modern industry and occupational awards will be made in readiness for 1 January.

It is important to note that some specific award provisions will not become fully operational until after the first full pay period (on or after) 1 July 2010.   These provisions relate to either increases or reductions to the following matters:-

-         Minimum wages, piecework rates, and applicable industry allowances;

-         Casual and Part Time loadings,

-         Saturday, Sunday, Public Holiday, evening and other penalties;

-         Shift allowances and/or penalties;

…note it is only these provisions that are subject for review, therefore all other award conditions apply from 1 January.

Modern awards will build upon the ‘National Employment Standards’ and may include ten (10) additional minimum conditions of employment, relevant to the needs of the industry/occupation, these conditions include:-

-         Wages,

-         Types of employment,

-         Arrangements for when work is performed,

-         Overtime and penalty rates,

-         Annualized wages and salary,

-         Allowances,

-         Leave related matters,

-         Superannuation, and

-         Employee representation and dispute settlement,

The message from the [Federal] Government is that neither the making of the modern award nor the operation of transitional arrangements is intended to result in a reduction of the take-home pay of employees covered by the award.   Instances where this occurs will be referred to Fair Work Australia.

Further to this, it is also intended that no organization should realise additional costs (to wages, allowances, penalties etc…) following the introduction of modern awards.

However, the AIRC has indicated some employers would face higher costs, and some employees would be disadvantaged by the reforms, even after measures to delay the start of some conditions by six (6) months (and these can be spread over a five (5) year period).

National Health and Safety Legislation… in April of last year the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, the Hon Julia Gillard MP, announced a national review into model Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Laws.

The reasons behind the review stem from the concerns held by all levels of Government who hold the belief that all workers have a right to safe and healthy workplaces.   Suffice to say, all [Governments] have taken a broadly similar approach to regulating safer workplaces.

This approach involves a principle OHS Act identifying common law duty of care, supported by detailed regulations and codes of practice, and a system of education, inspection, advice, compliance activities and, where appropriate, prosecution.

The importance of harmonised OHS laws has been recognised by the Council of Australian Governments (CoAG), the Productivity Commission and the States and Territories.

The legislation will consist of a principal Act supported by regulations and codes of practice that can be easily adopted in each jurisdiction.   By harmonising OHS laws in this way the perceived benefits will be, a reduction in red tape, a boost to business efficiency which will ultimately provide greater certainty and protections for all at work.

The Federal Government has since appointed an advisory panel who is charged with conducting a national review of the current OHS legislation (across all jurisdictions) and recommend the optimal structure and content of the new legislation.   In this review the panel will:-

-         examine the principal OH&S legislation for each state and territory, identifying areas of best practice, common practice and inconsistency;

-         Consider work already undertaken by the Australian Safety and Compensation Council as well as recent reviews commissioned by the Government;

-         Take into account the changing nature or work and employment arrangements;

-         Consult with business, governments, unions and other interested parties on matters relating to the review; and

-         Make recommendations on the optimal structure and content of legislation;

A National OH&S strategy was developed, and it provides the framework to improve the country’s OHS performance.   It sets out the national targets to reduce the incidence of work related fatalities by at least 20% and to reduce workplace injury (including musculoskeletal disorders) by at least 40% by June 2012.

On September 17^th the senate passed the Safe Work Australia Bill which will allow Safe Work Australia to be established and operate as an independent statutory agency that is responsible to improve occupational health & safety and workers compensation arrangements across Australia.

Despite the intention of the National Occupational Health & Safety legislation, resistance is growing amongst state and territory ministers as well as [some] trade Unions.   In one particular case the Trade Unions are urging the Government to include an injured workers right to prosecute employers over OHS breaches.   This is currently available in NSW and the ACT.

So where to from here? At present model legislation regulations and recommendations (from the national review) is available for public comment.  

It is intended the legislation be submitted to the Workplace Relations Ministers’ Council (WRMC) for agreement in November/December this year.   At the same time associated draft regulations will be developed and submitted to the WRMC for decision.

Progressively from late 2009, the model regulations reviews will be conducted on the model regulations with regards to existing national OHS standards.   This review will lead to the development of Codes of Practice which is scheduled for late 2010.  

It is envisaged the legislation and regulations will be implemented by all states and territories by December 2011.

Just a Thought… The Key to Selling is Listening, Today we are all in the business of Sales… yes all of us, even those of us who are behind the scenes and don’t physically see a ‘customer’ face to face.   We no longer have the luxury of hiding at our desks we must realise we all impact on sales.

Given the state of the economy, we cannot ignore the facts, business is too competitive and times are tough, and so we can’t afford to ignore the customer.   Maybe some of us will have difficulty in seeing ourselves as a salesperson, but now, it’s become a life skill.  

Consider this, if you’re normally turned off by the concept of selling, think about all those times/situations where you’ve had to persuade… that is just selling by another name; and more and more these are skills we need to have.

In the work sense, having good sales people is fundamental to its success…for example, it’s amazing that organisations don’t realise the first face shown to the world is the Receptionist.   It’s the Receptionist who lets you know you are welcome and that the company values you as a customer.   The Receptionist may not be seeling a product, but they are selling [promoting] the Company.

For those of us who then sell… and when we say sell, we’re not talking about being manipulative, fast talking, highly scripted and formulaic and only being concerned about the product! No, we’re talking about the human aspect of the concept.

We should think about selling as a partnership.   So if we can stop showing, telling, demonstrating, talking and explaining and do more asking, listening, questioning, observing and discussing, we’d be far better off.

Research shows that 80% of sales calls are taken up with the salesperson talking about themselves/their product, and so, only 20% are listening to the customer.   This means instead of the individual buying the product, they are actually sold on it!

The sales process should really be seen as a process by which you enable the individual to buy their goods/service.  

Consider the last time you went to buy clothes, was the sales person the type who said things like; “you right there?” or “What size are you?” then points to the rack that has what you’re looking for…or did you encounter a person who asked you what you were looking for and for what purpose etc… which person [realistically] will be the one to get your custom?

The sales process should be seen as enabling the buying process by simply applying [your] natural charm and showing interest in the customer.   You should have the knack of making the customer feel as though they are the most important person in the room.

Organisations need to start thinking that at employee induction, this concept of sales must be promoted…it should become a corporate culture and something all employees relate to.   We must remember that we all touch a customer and we need to be conscious of this in our daily tasks.

 “Post Script” to the July Newsletter – Courtesy in the Workplace… Research into the cost of ‘Bad Manners’ has identified that stress to employees affected by this issue, could cost up to as much as $US300 billion ($AU363 billion) in lost productivity. Apparently this type of behaviour includes – texting in meetings; spreading rumours; taking credit for others work; ignoring emails and not saying please or thank you.

If you would like any further information regarding the information contained within this Newsletter and/or any other HR Matter, please don’t hesitate in contacting us at contact@hrmconsulting.com.au or you can call John Cachia direct on 0419 738 735.

Remember at HRM Consulting, we help grow your business through smart solutions for your most valuable resource: your people!

3^rd edition

HRM Consulting – Newsletter August 2009,

Welcome to the August 2009 HRM Consulting Services Newsletter. In this month’s edition we look at the following issues:-

-         Labour Force Figures – July 2009

-         Safety News – Safety matters in hard times, and

-         Just a Thought – Business Confidence is on the rise.’

Before we get started, I thought it prudent to look at some news of the last couple of weeks…

-         NSW State Awards received an increase of 2.8% (per week);

-         The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reports in the twelve (12) months to May 2009, full time (adult) total earnings rose by 5.6% [for males] and 5.0% [for females];

-         The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) considers rate increase as the economy improves;

Labour Force Figures remain steady… there are signs that the economy is stabilising and that the labour market is resilient following the results of the latest ‘Employment Rates’ statistics which show that unemployment remained steady at 5.8%.

Reports show a surprising 32,200 jobs were created in July. This is seen as the biggest increase [in jobs] in more than a year. This is in stark contrast to reports, prior the release of these figures that expected a substantial rise in lay-offs.

Key to this result was the increase in part time employment which rose by 48,200 positions, surpassing the reduction of some 16,000 full time jobs. This increase in part time work is in keeping with the trend towards fewer working hours as witnessed over the last 12 months.

The Federal Government has commented on the positive way in which all parties (i.e. workers, employers and unions) have reacted to the current climate as they have taken a sensible approach to retaining jobs.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the workforce participation rate was steady at 65.3% which suggests more people are entering or staying in the job market, which is better than expected for the current market trends.

Predictions from Economists suggest that the official forecasted [unemployment rate] of 8.5% are now too pessimistic, with many now forecasting a rate of 7.5% is more likely. This positive news on jobs however may have a negative impact on interest rates, with some suggesting that interest rates will increase.

The change in employment status, from full time to part time, is said to slow household income growth, thus undermining consumer spending. This will increase the likelihood that any recovery will be sluggish. Interestingly this change in employment status has helped stem the tide of the economic downturn, so rather than terminating employees, by reducing the hours worked has helped to moderate the [likely] recession.

Notwithstanding, these figures suggest employers efforts to retain staff support the theory that the worst is coming to an end and the possibility of an economic recovery is very likely.

These results are supported by a survey conducted by the Commonwealth Bank and the Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry of 2519 employers which found that although the employment outlook was weak, economic and business conditions are set to improve in the September quarter.

The obvious areas to reduce your spend will be on items such as stationery, [cream] biscuits in the tea room, or removing the office plants.   Some organisations will change their recruitment plans or consider a complete restructure.   These decisions can affect more than the bottom line.

Interestingly, one important matter that is overlooked in all these changes is the impact this will have on the employees.   Increased workloads and/or changes to the workplace or work processes can cause stress and anxiety within the team.   Such distractions/pressures can add to their day, causing them to rush or make mistakes which could put them at risk.

If employees are uncertain about their future and/or the future of the business, they may be reticent to report hazards.

Yes management are looking at ways to ensure the business is productive and achieve short-term profits, and so activities like consultation, maintenance and training may not be considered as a necessity.   This is not the case.   There are genuine business advantages to looking after your employees.

Organisations will benefit greatly from having secure and motivated employees.   This can be reflected by increased productivity, greater involvement and/or innovation from the team and you may also see a reduction in absenteeism.   Having this productive environment can also help companies avoid lost time incidents and compensation claims.

As an employer you may not be able to control the global economy; however you do have the ability to manage and control the activities within your business, and therefore improve the safety and wellbeing of your team.

Just a Thought… Business Confidence is on the rise, and it seems every where you turn there are signs that this is the case.   Reports in the media say that Australian business confidence hit its highest level [July 2009] in almost two years, which suggests an economic recovery is gathering momentum.

This of course is good news which will help the optimists offset the commentary of those who advocate a more pessimistic point of view.

Further good news comes from the fact that the improvement to business outlook will assist those employers who seek to retain their staff despite the downward trend in demand, hence production. 

Although this business confidence is broadly based, reports suggest there are strong signs (specifically) in construction, wholesale, transport and manufacturing industries over recent months.

There are those who are cautiously monitoring this situation suggesting that consumer confidence and therefore spending may weaken. This coupled with low business investment suggest the mid term prospects may not be as bright. Which means it’s important for business not to get too confident.

Take into consideration that over the last few months a number of factors have come into being… including the Government stimulus package and the low interest rates. These factors have now been realised, however going forward there may be no further Government ‘hand-outs’ and the RBA are suggesting the interest rates may rise, as soon as February 2010. Hence the calls for caution may be warranted.

We are however in a better position then some of our allies. In New Zealand the unemployment rate reached a 10 year high of 6% and in the U.S. a reported 371,000 jobs were lost in July, taking their jobless rate to 9.6%

Overall it seems that Australian business have weathered the economic storm relatively well. Yes, there have been restructures and people have lost their jobs, but we see that organisations have developed [appropriate] strategies, new products and markets whilst holding a keen eye on innovation.

I think watch this space is an appropriate perspective as we track along the next six (6) months, and if all the reports are correct, we may well see ourselves and our businesses working in positive territory once again.

If you would like any further information regarding the information contained within this Newsletter and/or any other HR Matter, please don’t hesitate in contacting us at contact@hrmconsulting.com.au or you can call John Cachia direct on 0419 738 735.

Remember at HRM Consulting, we help grow your business through smart solutions for your most valuable resource: your people!