IR debates have occupied the airwaves this week. But here is what else has been going on in the world of HR.
ICT hiring looking healthy
The latest
Peoplebank Salary Survey has found healthcare and education to be key drivers of ICT hiring over the last three months, seeing a month-on-month rise in both sectors since late last year.
"The sheer number of new e-health initiatives - in PCEHR, telehealth, remote diagnosis and more - make healthcare one of Australia's strongest areas of ICT investment, alongside the education market where developments including faster broadband are fuelling innovation," Peter Acheson, CEO of Peoplebank, said.
Falsified employment records sees employees taken to the cleaners
An investigation by the
Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) has revealed recruitment agency Oz Staff Career Services unlawfully deducted a total of $130,183 from the wages of 102 employees under the guise of ‘administration fees’ and ‘meal fees’.
The FWO stated these deductions are unlawful due to not principally benefiting the employees, and the employees not having authorised them. Further breaches were found when the organisation provided false and misleading records to the FWO which did not contain these deductions.
Oz Staff Career Services faces maximum penalties of between $33,000 and $51,000 per breach.
Unemployment hits 10 year low
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) state that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate has hit 6.0% in January, up from 5.8% in December.
This indicates an increase in unemployed persons to 728,600 – up from 712,000 in December 2013. Participation rate is unchanged at 64.5%.
PayPal staff not using app – president unhappy
PayPal president David Marcus is concerned about the lack of staff at the San Jose office using the company’s app. In an internal email, Marcus encouraged staff to use the app, remember their passwords and even hack the Coke machine in the office to accept PayPal – something he had seen at other branches of the company.
Marcus encouraged employees who didn’t enjoy using PayPal products to reconsider if the company was right for them,
Venture Beat reported. Writing:
“In closing, if you are one of the folks who refused to install the PayPal app or if you can’t remember your PayPal password, do yourself a favour, go find something that will connect with your heart and mind elsewhere. A life devoid of purpose, and passion in what you do every day is a waste of the precious time you have on this earth to make it better.”
See the full email here.
