Employers in NSW will be banned from spying on employees’ private emails under legislation to be introduced later this year, according to State Attorney-General, Bob Debus
Employers in NSW will be banned from spying on employees’ private emails under legislation to be introduced later this year, according to State Attorney-General, Bob Debus. He said the new laws that will place strict limits on electronic surveillance in the workplace, and equipment such as video cameras and tracking devices will be banned from the workplace. Employers would be allowed to conduct “legitimate surveillance”, but will have to show a reasonable cause such as protecting their intellectual and commercial copyright, for example. “Unless employers have a court order they would need to give employees notice that surveillance will be conducted,” Debus said.
Australian managers: busy but bleak
Australian managers are working longer hours, but are increasingly dissatisfied with the amount of time they spend at work and the impact it has on their personal lives, according to the Melbourne Business School’s Mt Eliza Centre for Executive Education 2004 Leadership Index Report. It also found that managers were being forced to make more personal sacrifices to keep on top of their workload. The study, which gauged the mood of more than 680 managers, found that potential burn-out and lack of energy, motivation and creativity among staff raised questions about the impact of work and life balance on business success, according to Mt Eliza Centre for Executive Education spokeswoman Karen Morley.
Bracks says no to industrial manslaughter
Victorian Premier Steve Bracks recently reaffirmed that he would not consider introducing industrial manslaughter laws, despite the Australian Capital Territory’s recent introduction of such legislation. It was suggested that the Victorian government would introduced similar laws on the heels of the Maxwell report (see front page story), but Bracks said introducing industrial manslaughter legislation was not on the cards. “We are not approving any industrial manslaughter but sensible changes to the Occupational Health and Safety Act after 19 years is a sensible thing to do,” he said. “We are not pursuing industrial manslaughter by front or back door, no way are we pursuing that.”
Jobseekers queried about sexual activities
A Job Network provider in Queensland has been asking jobseekers to reveal sensitive personal details during their compulsory Job Search training courses. A questionnaire entitled ‘Can you take a risk’ asked jobseekers if they would be more likely to choose: a) A lover who delighted you, even if you thought it wouldn't last? b) A lover who adored you and would stay with you? or c) To avoid close relationships? Female jobseekers were asked whether they “had risked an unwanted pregnancy”, while male jobseekers were asked if they “had ever risked getting a woman pregnant”. The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations formally reprimanded the firm, who withdrew the survey.
Significant shifts in US executive compensation
In 2003, American companies moved away from granting stock options to CEOs, rebalanced the long-term incentive mix for CEOs, reined in overall CEO pay, and strengthened the link between CEO pay and performance. The Wall Street Journal/Mercer Human Resource Consulting CEO Compensation Survey of 350 of the largest public companies in the US also found that the median CEO salary was US$950,000 ($1.25 million) and median total annual compensation (base salary and bonus) was US$2.1 million ($2.76 million) in 2003. The 2003 figures demonstrated a desire to align pay with company performance, according to Peter Chingos, an executive compensation consultant with Mercer.
Uranium mine feels contamination heat
A worker at a uranium mine in Kakadu National Park is considering legal action, after suffering nausea, headaches and stomach cramps from mistakenly drinking contaminated water. The Ranger mine, Australia’s largest uranium mine, was shut down for eight days after it was revealed that its water supply became contaminated after processed water was mistakenly connected to the drinking water supply. Twelve workers reportedly drank the contaminated water. Federal Environment Minister David Kemp said the incident was unacceptable, and asked for a full report into the incident. He said management issues needed addressing within the mine, and the department would take the necessary steps to remedy the situation.
