breakfast briefings

acirrt and law firm Cutler Hughes & Harris present briefings on the latest developments in contemporary people management issues.

The format includes an overview of the special topic for the day and a briefing on recent legal and tribunal decisions affecting ER and HR practice by lawyers from Cutler Hughes & Harris and acirrt research staff. Questions and discussion follow.

Breakfast Briefings are held quarterly in a Sydney CBD venue with a continental breakfast served before and during the briefing.

Briefing #4
Thursday 4 December , 8.30 - 11.00am
Topic and venue to be announced soon.

previous 2003 briefings

Briefing #3
Thursday 2 October, 8.30 - 11.00am
Fixed-term contracts or ongoing employment? choices and pitfalls

Quality Hotel SC Sydney
111 Goulburn St (cnr of Elizabeth St), Sydney
parking available nearby

Speakers
Dr Richard Hall, Deputy Director (Operations), acirrt, University of Sydney
Helen Carayannis, Solicitor, Cutler Hughes & Harris

Program
Alternatives to the traditional model of the permanent or ongoing employee have become increasingly popular in Australian organisations over the past 15 years. As is well known, casual employment has been growing, but so too has the use of fixed-term contracts. Nevertheless, the number of fixed-term employees in Australia remains relatively low by international comparative standards. If mooted regulations on casual employment go ahead, however, this may well change.

Issues covered:

• The relative advantages and disadvantages of permanent, fixed term and casual – why have Australian employers opted for casuals and what will happen if restrictions on casual employment are introduced?
• The incidence of fixed term employment – where is this model of employment most popular and why?
• What are the differences in the attitudes and evaluations of workers on fixed term, permanent and casual employment?
• How short-term or long-term are most fixed term arrangements?
• What is the legal situation regarding a genuine fixed-term contract?
• What are the dangers in engaging employees for a fixed term?
• What are the legal remedies for employees dismissed during the course of a fixed term contract?

Briefing #2
Thursday 26 June, 8.30 - 11.00am
Managing stress and mental health problems in the workplace

Speakers
Associate Professor Ron Callus, Director, acirrt
Leah Charlson, Solicitor, Cutler Hughes & Harris

Issues covered:

• the duty of employers to protect and promote mental health in the workplace
• stress and other conditions causing mental illness at work
• bullying and harassment
• managing poor performance resulting from stress and mental illness
• claims against employers for breach of the duty to ensure mental health at work
• unlawful and unfair dismissal and mental illness
• strategies to manage stress and mental illness at work
  

Briefing #1
Thursday 27 March, 8.00am - 10.30am
Managing absenteeism - employee obligation, employer responsibility

Speakers
Sue Bearfield, Researcher, acirrt
Helen Carayannis, Solicitor, Cutler, Hughes & Harris

Program

• Employee and employer obligations to comply with Awards, Common Law, Legislation and other Industrial Agreements regarding attendance at work
• Continued absences from work due to illness and employee/employer responsibilities
• Abandonment of employment due to absence of employers' right to terminate employment
• The value of effect of requiring medical certificates
• Managing organisationally induced absenteeism
• Managaing absence programs
• Reasons for absenteeism
• Absentism and sick leave provisions in agreements
• Studies have shown that absenteeism has the greatest impact on labour productivity than any other factor in the workplace, including industrial action
• Management/employee relations in the workplace is the key to combating the problem
• Employee absenteeism is increasingly taking place because of :
  - Family issues;
  - Personal illness;
  - Stress; and
  - Entitlement mentality
• Implementation of work/life programs to reduce absenteeism and to increase moral in the workplace
• Need for flexibility to address real reasons for non-attendance, for example:
  - Alternative work arrangements;
  - Compressed work weeks;
  - Leave for school functions; and
  - On-site childcare
  

2002 briefings topics

Thursday, 5 December
Drug and Alcohol Testing at the Workplace and
After Hours Conduct
- why test at all? being clear about what testing will actually deliver
- what are the best testing methods and what do they test?
- when and how to test: blanket? random? for cause? on suspicion?
- appropriate responses to a positive test? is three strikes really the best way    or is there another way?
- the only sure thing: a consultative and educative approach to drugs and  
   alcohol.
- OHS obligations and the requirement to consult
- drug and alcohol policies
- legal issues in relation to testing
- termination of employment, including the need for clear policies,    communication and procedural fairness
- employers' right to control employees' after hours conduct
- alcohol use at work functions including company Christmas parties
- sexual harassment and discrimination

Thursday, 19 September
Managing individual workplace grievances and disciplinary procedures
- dealing with conflict between co-workers
- managing workplace complaints and investigation procedures
- implementing appropriate disciplinary procedures
- review of recent cases and other legal developments
- update on current industrial relations issues

Thursday 20 June 2002
Recent cases on termination of employment and reinstatement
- review of recent cases and other legal developments
- update on current industrial relations issues
- managing the probation period
- meeting procedural fairness requirements
- working with the reinstatement option

Thursday 11 April
Fitness for Duty - Legal developments and how employers are dealing with the issue

• Managing contractors and labour hire workers
• Fitness for duty: legal developments and how employers are dealing with the issue
• Workplace stress and employers responsibilities
• Legal and IR/HR issues regarding casual employment
• Privacy Issues at the workplace and beyond
• Registered agreements and carers responsibilities under anti discrimination legislation
• Developments in union rights and Freedom of Association in Australia
• Bullying and harassment at work

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