A federal government study has found that working mums have a better opportunity to combine work and family life as long as they don't set their sights on managerial jobs
A federal government study has found that working mums have a better opportunity to combine work and family life as long as they don’t set their sights on managerial jobs. Conducted by the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA), it explodes the myth that managers have more access to flexibility than their shop-floor counterparts. According to the study, managers are able to access only 73 per cent of the workplace flexibility arrangements that are available to their staff. These include the ability to work part-time, job share, work compressed hours, use family leave and access child care. The only arrangement that managers were able to access more than their staff was the ability to work from home.
National Work And Family Awards winners announced
The Australian Federal Police recently won the Gold Award for the most outstanding organisation in the 2004 ACCI/BCA National Work and Family Awards. More than 70 applications were received for the awards, which recognise organisations with practical and innovative work and family policies, and selection criteria included flexible workplace practices, consultation with staff and business outcomes. Other winners included Sara Lee Household and Body Care (medium business award), Sunraysia Murray Group Training (small business award), Victorian Building Commission and Minter Ellison (joint rising star award winners) and Buderim Ginger (regional and rural award).
SR Group acquires HR Matters and HR Locums
International specialist recruitment group SR Group recently acquired HR recruitment firm HR Matters and contract HR recruitment firm HR Locums. The SR Group owns consultancies practising in the areas of HR, tax and law with offices in London, Hong Kong and Sydney. HR Matters and HR Locums will work with Frazer Jones, The SR Group’s leading HR recruitment brand in Europe, to provide a global HR recruitment service to domestic and international clients. “Joining The SR Group provides us with a unique opportunity to build on our reputation as one of Australia’s leading HR recruitment companies,” said Chris Le Coic, managing director of HR Matters and HR Locums.
WA moves to cap working hours
The West Australian Gallop Government recently announced that it will establish a State-wide code of practice designed to curb the number of hours worked by employees. The code of practice recommends that employees work no more than 56 hours per week, and will also place a cap on sequential night shifts and the number and length of rest breaks. Following a review into the effects of extended working hours on workplace safety, WA Minister for Consumer and Employment Protection John Kobelke said that the code will help guide industry and workers on the management and risks associated with extended working hours. The code of practice will go through a draft stage that would allow for more public comment, and is set to be finalised by mid next year.
NSW Govt voices opposition to Casual Work Test Case
The NSW Government recently announced it will oppose the NSW Labor Council’s Secure Employment Test Case. The council is seeking to establish a right for casual workers to be offered permanent employment when they have worked regularly for more than six months, for labour hire workers be paid the same rates of pay as workers employed by the host employer that and employers contracting work out must offer existing workers alternative employment with the contractor at the same rate of pay. The NSW Government said it wasn’t appropriate for all casual workers in the state to come under uniform restrictions, but instead supported a system that would allow industries to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. The NSW Industrial Relations Commission recently began hearings in the test case.
OHS adverse boss likened to Montgomery Burns
A magistrates court recently likened the boss of a farm machinery company to The Simpsons’ ruthless capitalist Montgomery Burns, after an employee was sacked for raising health and safety concerns. The court ordered Ag-Ready managing director Garrett Gunn to pay $10,000 damages and a $10,000 fine for sacking his health and safety officer Dale Maggs when he sent a fax to WorkSafe asking for help in addressing worker’s OHS concerns. Gunn sacked Maggs on the spot after the fax was discovered, telling him that he was “lower than whale$%#… You can @$#% off out of this place and we’ll see you in court.” The magistrate said Gunn’s behaviour “reminds me of the type of behaviour of the cartoon character (Montgomery) Burns”.
