The HR Advisor

Many business owners and managers are becoming increasingly concerned and unsure of what to do in relation to Coronavirus to minimise the risk of infection and transmission amongst their teams, while ensuring business continuity.

Remember that great TV commercial by BUPA in which people met the healthier version of themselves. Fitter, healthier and happier. Who wouldn’t want to be that version?

As we start 2020, it’s time to ask ourselves if our business is living it's best life? Is it the best version of itself? Or is it straying from best behaviours and as a result suffering?

Christmas is only nine weeks, which means your work Christmas party is probably only a month away, maybe sooner. Aside from dealing with the fact that I only have two months left of the year and still so much to do, the thought of summer and Christmas gets me excited.

The responsibility of organising our office Christmas Party is often mine. It's a job I love to do - but being an HR Practitioner gives me an advantage. Many of my friends and clients who don't have an HR background are more than happy to plan for the fun, but dread the thought of being responsible for any HR issues.

So, to help you (and them) avoid an HR disaster, here are our top HR tips for the festive season.

For many businesses, their HR policies exist inside an induction manual, which is loosely referred to on an employee's first day and beyond that does nothing more than line the bottom drawer of their desk.

However, truly successful companies don't see their HR policies as just a compliance requirement. They recognise that these vital components set the guidelines and parameters for how their business operates.

They don't choose to create policies because they are successful; they are successful because they have well-developed policies.

One of the most common mistakes employers make is not paying their employees correctly. And, while often unintentional, the smallest errors add up over time, and can lead to large consequences for underpaying employees.

Recent cases before industrial tribunals have resulted in companies having to repay significant sums of money, causing major cash flow issues for the individual businesses. These cases have also been reported in the media, creating damage to individual brands and businesses.

17 months ago, in the aftermath of sexual assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein, the #metoo campaign exploded across social media. Highlighting the prevalence of sexual abuse against women has frankly been an uncomfortable truth for society - yet a truth which needed to be accepted before we could move forward.

If we look back across this last year and a half, despite some friction that was expressed as a result of such a social awakening, one would have to recognise that the #metoo movement has transformed the way we deal with harassment in organisations and in the wider community.

In business, there will almost certainly be cases where you have an employee who is underperforming or acting inappropriately. Issuing written warnings is a mandatory part of the performance management process; either driving performance corrections or supporting the decision to terminate.

A warning needs to communicate the performance deficit of the employee, reiterate the expectations of the organisation and communicate the consequences if improvement is not achieved.

The chances are that you have an employee right now that is not meeting the required standards of performance or behaviour. Such employees have a direct impact on the productivity and the profitability of the organisation and depending on their role, may have consequences ranging from lost clients to safety risks and workplace accidents, to the resignations of fellow staff members.

Prevention is better than cure in the case of poor performance. So, while you may be in a position where you need to be able to take corrective action, keep in mind that developing strategies to minimise performance management matters is the goal. Employee engagement is one such practice which should be a top priority for your business.   

One of the easiest ways to know whether it is Monday or not is to spend some time on social media. You will undoubtedly see a series of memes cursing the start of another working week. Sure, I can see the funny side in most of them, but what is most striking is the number of likes, shares and comments on these flagships of disengagement at work.

Deloitte research¹ found that engagement requires an empowering and highly inclusive work environment. However, such a level of inclusivity is a rarity; only 11% of companies have such work environments. It comes as little wonder then that this same research found 85% of executives rated employee engagement as a top priority – even though only 46% of companies are prepared to handle the challenges that employee engagement presents.

As an Australian business owner or manager, your compliance responsibilities are far-reaching. From accounting, to HR, to operations, all facets of your business have legal requirements that you need to ensure are met.

While this is still a confronting concept for many businesses across the country, there are more and more organisations now approaching their legal and ethical obligations with a best-in-class mindset, resulting in them greatly exceeding many of their base compliance requirements. Why? Because they recognise the tremendous upside of doing so, particularly in the area of HR.