Mercer Human Resource Consulting recently announced that it will acquire the Australian operations of Mellon Human Resources & Investor Solutions and its subsidiaries
Mercer Human Resource Consulting recently announced that it will acquire the Australian operations of Mellon Human Resources & Investor Solutions and its subsidiaries. Mercer and Mellon are negotiating with a view to finalising the sale within the next couple of weeks, with a proposed transfer date in early April. It is proposed that Mercer will acquire Mellon Human Resources & Investor Solutions by way of a share transfer to Mercer from Mellon Financial Corporation. In Australia the Mellon Human Resources & Investor Solutions business employs approximately 250 people and provides clients with superannuation administration, retirement consulting, communication, insurance broking, outsourced trustee and legal services.
Companies face tighter migration regulations in Australia
Companies sponsoring employees to migrate into Australia may lose their ability to sponsor their employees internationally into Australia if they fail to comply with recent Business (long stay) Visa-Subclass 457 migration legislation (457 Visa). Even though the greater obligations came into force on 1 July 2004, employers sponsoring assignees (457 visa holders) are still struggling to comply with the onerous obligations due to the complexities of understanding the regulations, according to Karen Waller, Executive Director of KPMG’s Migration Group. The 457 Visa is a visa class regularly used by companies to sponsor expatriates to work in Australia as temporary residents for a maximum period of four years.
Companies beg staff to take sickies
Forty-eight per cent of Australian organisations have a policy of encouraging people to take sick leave when they are ill with colds and flu, according to a Talent2 survey of more than 1,200 people. Desks, phones and office equipment like computer keyboards are prime habitats for viruses that cause colds and flu, said Talent2’s Craig Sneesby. “Companies are urging people to stay at home when they are sick to avoid spreading illness epidemics in the workplace. Many companies have put together guidelines to tell their employees when they should stay home and when it’s okay for them to come back to work,” he said. “There is absolutely no point in being a martyr. Being at work when you are sick not only puts others at risk, but you probably won’t be productive anyway.”
Bullying contributes to ABC workers comp bill
Workers compensation payouts to ABC staff have jumped by 63 per cent to $1.98 million, with part of the rise attributed to psychological injury claims as a result of bullying. During a recent Senate committee hearing, Labor senator George Campbell asked ABC officials about bullying cases in Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia. He said he understood that ABC staff in Western Australia had lodged a collective complaint because individual staff members were afraid to come forward themselves, and that the ABC’s HR department did not investigate the claims. However, ABC chief operating officer David Pendleton said that there were a number of investigations into bullying that have taken place that may have resulted in further training for staff or management.
UK employers resist wages rises despite tight labour market
UK employers must involve line managers in pay and benefit strategies in order to keep control of wage increases and to ensure money is not being wasted, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). A third of UK organisations have a separate reward function and this is becoming more important as organisations attempt to recruit, retain and motivate staff in a highly competitive environment. However, effective pay and benefit packages depend on the involvement of line managers, the CIPD said. Sixty per cent of organisations expect line managers to communicate the reward strategy, but less than a third of organisations actually involve line managers in developing the reward strategy.
Hewitt to provide HR services to The Thomson Corporation
Hewitt Associates recently announced that it will provide HR business process outsourcing (BPO) services to The Thomson Corporation. Under a five-year agreement, Hewitt will provide certain HR BPO services in the areas of benefits, compensation, payroll, learning and development and recruiting for Thomson’s 28,000 employees in the US. Thomson was assisted by the Everest Group in completing the transaction. Thomson is a provider of integrated information solutions to business and professional customers, employs approximately 39,000 employees worldwide and provides services in approximately 130 countries.
