Organisational policy

From July 1, Australian companies are obliged to give protection to whistleblower employees. Companies have until the end of 2019 to institute a compliant and comprehensive whistleblower…

A recent appeal case determined ‘ordinary hours’ were the ordinary hours as set out in the relevant award or agreement. Employers who use ‘annualised salaries’ in their agreements and do not…

Officer found guilty, released on appeal. Officer charged to stand trial. Officer sentenced to 18 months imprisonment.

Every organisation is faced with conduct risk. How can an organisation ensure that its people are willing and enabled to consistently make good decisions? The organisation needs to be clear about…

This article outlines key considerations for organisations considering taking on commercial activities. With a changed operating and funding environment, a growing number of not-for-profits are…

Mental illness in the workplace is an area for all employers to bear in mind when conducting workplace investigations. It is crucial for employers to ensure that workplace investigations are…

SWIM is a model that recognises the role of people and the true impact of innovation. It is a four-step process with each step consisting of an action and an expression element. The importance of…

Sharing responsibility for the quality of governance of the company and board effectiveness, presents company secretaries with several important challenges. These challenges relate to time pressure…

A recent survey by Norton Rose Fulbright highlights what reputational risk means for business leaders and their companies across Australia. In order to manage reputational risk effectively, an open…

In response to elevated complexity and reduced stability, the idea of resilience at the individual, organisational and community levels has become popular. Organisational resilience definitions…

When it comes to boards exercising supervision over workforce issues, their role is much broader than just in respect of safety. Many workplaces comprise different categories of employees as well…

Employers must not unreasonably refuse a request made by an employee to be assisted by a support person at any discussions relating to dismissal. However, employers may in certain circumstances…

Underpayment of workers’ entitlements undermines the trust of customers and disenfranchise and demoralise workers. Undesirable conduct by a company’s supply chain partners, franchisees or service…

Draft legislation has been released to create a single whistleblower protection regime in the Corporations Act and create a new whistleblower protection regime in the taxation law. Currently,…

For a minority shareholder to succeed in an oppression suit, the court must be satisfied that, in the given circumstances, reasonable directors would consider the effect of the conduct complained of…

Corporate groups are used for a range of legal, business, tax and governance reasons, and can assist in achieving financial growth and in mitigating risk. Directors in corporate groups should…

Australian modern slavery reporting legislation will be enacted in 2018. Boards should consider a broader human rights focus in building a modern slavery response. The first step in the due…

Insider trading continues to be a focus of ASIC’s surveillance initiatives. This article contains important considerations when preparing or reviewing your company’s trading policy. The trading…

This article summarises qualitative research from 35 Australian organisations with a stated intention of achieving more with less. Consistent themes emerged on where organisations are succeeding…