5 HR Advisory Tips Employers Should Know

For many business owners and employers, HR is an afterthought on a never-ending business checklist. With the day to day running of your business, it can be challenging for employers to juggle the intricacies of employee management and HR support on top of this. However, mismanaging and neglecting your HR needs can lead to workplace dispute claims, a hostile workplace environment, costly legal issues, reputational damage, low employee morale and more. 

We’re here to help, that’s why in today’s blog we’re sharing with you 5 HR tips employers should know and consider in their business.

1. Stay informed with employment law updates

Employment law and industrial relations are reviewed and updated throughout the year by the Australian Government and Fair Work Australia. Employers should stay informed on these updates and implement changes where necessary. For example, an Annual Wage Review is conducted by Fair Work each year, with changes to modern awards and the minimum wage that usually come into play from 1 July in the new financial year. Staying up to date with this ensures your employees are paid correctly and helps avoid underpayment issues.

2. Develop employee management procedures

Proper employee management procedures help to take the weight off your shoulders when unfamiliar issues arise in the workplace. It is also reassuring for employees to know what they need to do if they are facing challenges at work and who to contact, such as an HR manager.

Including all policies and procedures in an employee handbook when onboarding new employees is a great way to implement this information and protect your business in workplace disputes.

3. Engage existing employees

A common flaw we see from business owners is putting all the focus onto onboarding new employees and forgetting to engage their existing ones to advance. More often than not, existing employees with poor morale and low productivity can feel neglected from a lack of professional development opportunities and a lack of feedback through performance reviews.

Great employees build greater businesses, therefore it’s crucial to invest in the professional development of all employees through performance targets, training days, feedback and rewards, to grow your business and maintain employee morale.

4. Conduct regular workplace compliance audits

Being proactive with workplace compliance audits can help your business to avoid costly workplace disputes, address issues early and reduce workplace disruption. Frequent audits help to prevent issues before they occur, such as underpayment issues.  A few aspects we recommend auditing are:

• Payroll and wages

• Workplace health and safety

• Policies and procedures aligning with the Fair Work Act

• Employee understanding of workplace policies

• Employment records and contracts

5. Invest in professional support

Having a good legal team specialised in employment law and HR by your side can be very valuable not only if issues arise, but also to help your business be proactive in mitigating and addressing future risks. Our team of employment law experts at Optimum Legal can help you to identify your strengths and weaknesses in employee management and HR, and provide training and support to address gaps.

At Optimum Legal, we work with you as an extension of your business to help make the process simple. Our team of employment lawyers are by your side every step of the way to answer any queries or concerns you may have regarding employee management or any other areas of employment law and HR advisory. 

Book your free initial consultation here.