Some useful thresholds for your HR and payroll teams:
Don’t you hate it when someone says: “Sorry I didn’t call you back yesterday – things got really busy in the office.”
Whenever I hear that I feel like asking: “Well, where did I fit into your busy schedule?” The honest answer would be: “Well, you didn’t fit into it at all. I gave you absolutely zero priority ahead of other things I considered more important than you.”
Makes you feel all warm inside, doesn’t it? In reality, it’s a really rude thing to say to someone yet we use it as though it is a perfectly reasonable excuse for our appalling behaviour.
People constantly wheel out their “busyness” as an excuse for not doing something they should have done.
Let’s stop using “we were busy” as an excuse. Apologise for being slack and don’t let it happen again!
Don’t say you’re busy, say you’re sorry instead.
Well, I could be a little biased here but there is an interesting stat around which suggests that businesses could benefit from a little HRH (Human Resources Help).
Did you know that if an employee quits after 18 months with you it will cost you 2.5 times their salary package to replace them and get the new person back up to the same level as the departed employee?
With some good HRH you may be able to avoid this dreaded scenario. HRH can help turn your business into the one that no one would ever dream of leaving. How do we do this?
Just for starters, a good HR person can give you a performance appraisal process, management coaching and a harassment-free workplace. Why are these things important?
Apparently, most people leave a job because of their manager or some conflict with a fellow worker.
So, do you really need HR?
Why not give it a go – you’ll be surprised by how much it could save you.
Beware when your star employee asks for a salary review. It should raise alarm bells. They may be looking for another job, they may have already received an offer from a competitor or they may just want to test you out to see how much you really appreciate them.
Avoid most of this angst by insisting your managers have informal and frequent chats with their people on issues such as salary, professional development and career aspirations. These sorts of conversations should never be an annual event; they need to be ongoing and a major component of your managers’ job.
From the recent Federal budget comes the news that the Super Guarantee increases, previously announced by the former Labor government, have been put on hold.
There will be a .25% increase to 9.5% effective 1/7/14. This will be the last increase until 1/7/18.
Watch this space for further updates as they come to hand.
The Federal Government has recently announced cut backs to its proposed paid parental leave scheme entitlements. Instead of the maximum payment being $75,000 it’s now $50,000. The way it works is this:
* Women need to have worked at least 330 hours over 10 months of the previous 13 months to be eligible
* Whatever salary they are on they get paid 26 weeks of that salary up to a maximum of $50,000
* Compare this to the scheme we have now (a legacy of the previous Labor government) which allows for 18 weeks’ paid leave at the minimum weekly wage of $622.30 which equates to $11,201 as a total payment
* All women are entitled to payment regardless of their salary ie there is no means test like there is with the current scheme (women earning over $150,000 pa are not currently eligible for any payment – this is not the case with the proposed new scheme)
* Watch this space for future announcements
New anti-bullying legislation came into effect 1/1/2014. The Fair Work Commission (FWC) is now able to investigate your workplace if one of your employees lodges a complaint. You and your managers need to be able to handle complaints of bullying so that they don’t escalate out of your control.
Make sure you have policies and processes in place to deal effectively with any harassment allegations that may arise. Regular training of your staff in dealing with workplace harassment is one sound strategy to ensure you have a compliant workplace.
You also need to role model exemplary behaviour. Your employees look to you and your managers to gauge what behaviour is acceptable. If you suspect any of your senior people are bullies you need to take immediate action before it spirals out of control and you find yourself facing not only a hefty fine from the FWC but also a huge workers’ compensation payout.
Be ever vigilant and get an HR professional in to help you sort it out before it’s too late. Don’t think it could never happen to you.
An employee’s right to work in Australia needs to be thoroughly verified before you make an offer of employment. Don’t assume that everyone you employ is legally entitled to work here. Make it part of your on-boarding process that all new hires have to produce their passport or some other proof that clearly shows their right to work in Australia. Sight original documents only and take copies. If in any doubt at all seek help from a migration lawyer, especially if a 457 Visa is involved. The fines for employing someone who is not eligible to work in Australia are huge.
Our thinking needs to change about performance appraisals. Developing employees’ strengths rather than focusing on so called “areas for improvement” will reap the most benefits for your employees and subsequently your business. We also need to focus on the future rather than review past failures. It may be counter-intuitive but this is precisely what a growing number of HR experts are advising their clients to do. If you don’t have a performance appraisal process in place already talk to your HR adviser.
When being interviewed for your next role try this different approach to make yourself stand out from the rest.
When they ask you (usually at the end of the interview) if you have any questions for them don’t ask them anything! Instead, use the time you have left to succinctly summarise why you are the best person for the job. This is an excellent strategy because the last thing the interviewer(s) will remember is your voice saying why they should choose you rather than one of them droning on in response to a question you’ve asked which will do nothing to further your claims to the position.
