So what now in 2021?
Did you stay up on New Year’s Eve just to make sure that 2020 left?
It was a hell of a year, wasn’t it?
So what does 2021 hold for us?
Compliance is the first priority
If you haven’t made sure that you are compliant with Fair Work and all of those employment laws and regulations, get compliant!
The Fair Work Ombudsman’s 2019/20 Annual Report tells us that they:
- Recovered $123,461,548 in underpaid wages and entitlements for 25,583 workers
- Resolved 22,000 workplace disputes between workers and businesses
- Had 21.8 million visits to its website
- Answered 422,455 calls
So the odds are that, if you aren’t doing the right thing or you are not able to show your people that you are (even if you think you are), you might get that call.
There are big fines and the Fair Work Ombudsman does publicly report stuff and you don’t want that. Check it out at https://www.fairwork.gov.au/about-us/news-and-media-releases/default.
Sorry…. but that compliance stuff is ramping up
Last year, the Victorian Government passed legislation making wage theft a criminal offence (that takes effect from no later than 1 July this year) and the federal government has also introduced a bill that would make wage theft a criminal offence.
Businesses and organisations are now being held to account to make sure that their contractors and supply chains are compliant with workplace laws….and that contractors are really bona fide independent contractors.
If you happen to be in the construction industry and work on major civil projects or otherwise supply to government, a finding of non-compliance could result in disqualification and really hurt your business.
Added to all of that, if you are in Victoria and you use labour hire, you must ensure that the firm you are using is a registered labour hire provider or run the risk of prosecution for using an unregistered provider. Find out more at https://labourhireauthority.vic.gov.au/host/.
COVID has changed the rules and the expectations
We all have to have COVID safe workplace plans and to ensure that everyone understands and complies with the rules for your workplace.
Then there are the people who have been working from home. Some will have enjoyed that and want to do more of it even as the restrictions relax. Then again, some are delighted to be getting back to the old workplace.
The important things here are to work out what can work in balance for your business and your people and respect the fact that one size does not fit all. So sit down and have a chat with each of them individually and work out what works best for both of you.
Positive leadership is more important than ever
In ordinary times, the way that you lead your people is a major factor in their wellbeing and performance and, guess what……really critical for your wellbeing and performance too.
So when we have been through what we have over the past year and with what we have ahead of us, this quality of leadership is even more important.
Science tells us that having a positive leadership mindset and a positive workplace culture centred on gratitude can make remarkable differences to organisational performance and the happiness and wellbeing of your people.
We use a platform called ShareTree to support that culture and encourage other businesses to have a look at this. See www.sharetree.org.
About us
Ridgeline HR is a boutique People and Culture consulting practice based in Croydon.
We have been Helping PEOPLE in BUSINESS with PEOPLE BUSINESS like all of this stuff since 2000.
We offer a free first consultation if you have a HR issue that you need some advice on.
We are happy to come to you or shout you a cuppa over a chat at a local café.
If you would like to take up that offer, call us on 0438 533 311 or email enquiries@ridgelinehr.com.au.