Inside HR – 22 October
Sixty per cent of Australian employees cite “quality of management” as the thing they had most about their current job. Conducted by SEEK, the survey of 6506 people also found that dissatisfaction with management was highest among employees in their 30s, and most prevalent in the retail, consumer products, advertising and media sectors. Half of all survey respondents said they were actively looking for a new job, and 96 per cent said they would consider switching jobs depending on the opportunity offered.
ACCC authorises RCSA code of conduct
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission recently authorised an RCSA Code for Ethical Conduct that sets out standards for members in their dealings with clients, candidates and on-hired employees. While the recruitment industry had been tarnished by the actions of a few unscrupulous players in the past, RCSA CEO Julie Mills said the recognition of the code ensured members would provide a high level of professional and ethical standards, combined with the disciplinary procedures to reprimand those who do not abide by the code.
NSW to ban email spying
NSW Premier Bob Carr has announced that he would introduce laws to ban companies from secretly monitoring their employees’ emails. He said that covert surveillance smacks of spying and distrust, but the proposed laws would allow for monitoring if agreed to by employees and their employers. Labor Council secretary John Robertson welcomed the announcement, saying it was a significant break-through for workers as they could use work email for reasonable private purposes without being spied on.
The cause behind the effect of long hours
Employers drive long working hours for the most part, however employees seeking overtime pay also work long hours on their own steam, according to a recent Australian Bulletin of Labour. The bulletin found that allowing workers greater control over their working time, rather than their workload, results in most working longer hours, as pressures to work more are internalised. It also found that despite widespread support for upper limits on working hours, restrictions fail in practice without enforcement mechanisms.
Genetic discrimination threatens workplace health
Selecting employees based on genetic testing is a real and dangerous threat, according to a recent report from UK-based GeneWatch. Despite many employers wanting to use the tests, the report found that they were inaccurate in predicting future disability or illness. It also found that many researchers were working on methods to identify workers who were susceptible to workplace hazards, but warned that these screening processes could also exclude employees outside target groups.
ADF partners with Lee Hecht Harrison
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) has appointed career management firm Lee Hecht Harrison to provide career assistance and guidance to more than 5,000 partners of Army, Navy and Airforce servicemen and women. The ADF requires its members to move approximately every two years to one of 60 bases across Australia, and their partners’ employment has been identified as a major factor affecting member recruitment and retention. Lee Hecht Harrison has developed a modular career assistance program for the ADF, which will assist relocating partners access the local labour market with ease.
UK firm bans email
A UK mobile phone company which banned staff members from using email claims the move is saving three hours of working time per day, or £1 ($2.42) million a month. Phones 4u chief executive John Caudwell has told his staff to speak to each other in person or pick up the phone rather than using email. Caudwell, who does not use email himself, said the quality and efficiency of communication have increased significantly since people weren’t tied to their PCs. He is known for his unusual employment tactics, and is Britain’s 26th richest man with a personal fortune of £840 million ($2 billion).
