Recent Posts
News•Feb 23, 2026
HR's Strategic Influence Growing, Specialist Skills in Demand
HR’s strategic influence is expanding, prompting employers to seek senior HR business partners and specialists who can lead workforce planning, change management, and regulatory navigation. Robert Half’s 2026 salary guide shows overall HR pay is flat, but premiums are rising for senior, hard‑to‑fill roles. Employers are becoming more selective with remuneration, yet willing to pay higher wages for business‑critical, scarce skill sets. This shift underscores HR’s evolution from administrative support to a core strategic function.
By HR Daily (Australia)
News•Feb 23, 2026
Employee Who Took Decisions as Personal Affronts Wasn't Bullied: FWC
An Australian university lecturer alleged seven instances of bullying by his executive dean and dean of programs. The Fair Work Commission found none of the claims met the legal definition of repeated unreasonable behaviour, rejecting the bullying allegations. While acknowledging...
By HR Daily (Australia)
News•Feb 20, 2026
Unfair Dismissal Ruling Stands, Despite "Profoundly Troubling" Evidence
The Fair Work Commission’s full bench refused to overturn an unfair dismissal finding against a University of Melbourne professor, despite evidence of inappropriate conduct with a student. The professor was terminated in December 2024 for alleged “wilful and deliberate contraventions”...
By HR Daily (Australia)
News•Feb 20, 2026
Employer Liable for Psych Injury Caused by "Misperceived" Work Events
A NSW Personal Injury Commission member ruled that a security guard’s bipolar disorder, worsened by ongoing workplace stress and perceived personal attacks, qualifies for workers' compensation. The employer’s defense—that the employee’s condition stemmed from prior drug use and a non‑work‑related...
By HR Daily (Australia)
News•Feb 20, 2026
More Leaders Are Viewing Rest as a Necessity, Not a Luxury
More leaders are recognizing rest as essential, not a luxury. Leadership advisor Tara James observes a shift away from hustle culture, promoting a "switch off to switch on" mindset. New research linking employee wellbeing to performance, combined with a surge...
By HR Daily (Australia)
News•Feb 19, 2026
Sacking Employee over "Extremely Inappropriate" Gestures Was Fair
The Fair Work Commission upheld Pacific National Services' dismissal of a train driver who performed Nazi‑salute gestures from Mittagong station, deeming the conduct serious misconduct. Deputy President Bryce Cross rejected the employee’s claim that the gestures were an "all clear"...
By HR Daily (Australia)
News•Feb 19, 2026
Employees' 'Mindset Behaviours' Can Signal Burnout, Retention Risks
The "Mindset Matters" report reveals that five employee mindset behaviours—social connection, emotional communication, ability to switch off, health prioritisation, and sustained energy—serve as early indicators of psychological strain. Drawing on Better Being’s wellbeing index and SuperFriend’s thriving workplace metrics, the...
By HR Daily (Australia)
News•Feb 19, 2026
New HR Metric Measures How Employees "Truly" Connect to Work
Researchers from Canada have introduced a new HR metric called Love of the Job (LOJ) that gauges employee passion, commitment, and intimacy toward their work, colleagues, and organization. The nine‑item scale adapts Sternberg’s triangular theory of love and is positioned...
By HR Daily (Australia)
News•Feb 18, 2026
Accusing Superior of Hating Women Warranted Sacking, but Decision Was Harsh
The Fair Work Commission ordered the reinstatement of a National Jet Express pilot who was dismissed for alleging her superior "hated women" and other personal criticisms. While the employer proved the comments breached a workplace policy, the Commission deemed the...
By HR Daily (Australia)
News•Feb 18, 2026
FWC to Reconsider Reinstatement for Worker Accused of "Deplorable Racism"
The Fair Work Commission’s order to reinstate a Cowra Meat employee will be reconsidered after the employer proved that key evidence of alleged misconduct was not merely hearsay. The original ruling upheld the dismissal for failing to give notice but...
By HR Daily (Australia)
News•Feb 18, 2026
Webcast: Best and Emerging Practices in Flexible Work
The HR Daily Premium webcast explores how organizations can transition from rigid office mandates to treating flexible work as a standard operating model. It outlines strategies for building a culture that supports flexibility, handling limited‑option scenarios, and sustaining high performance...
By HR Daily (Australia)
News•Feb 17, 2026
Redefine Pay Now or Risk "a Much Broader Retention Issue"
HR leaders are being urged to rethink remuneration as a widening pay perception gap emerges. Robert Walters' 2026 Salary Guide shows 81% of employees feel their wages lag behind rising living costs, with 41% believing they are underpaid, while 85%...
By HR Daily (Australia)
News•Feb 17, 2026
Employee Upset by "Retaliatory" Communication Wasn't Forced to Quit
The Fair Work Commission ruled that the Transport Accident Commission’s decision to restart a performance‑management process was not retaliatory, finding the employee was not forced to quit. The commission emphasized that the employer’s aim was a “positive and productive” relationship...
By HR Daily (Australia)
News•Feb 17, 2026
Persistent Complaints Amounted to Sackable Misconduct; and More
A senior manager was dismissed after repeated complaints were deemed sackable misconduct, with the company framing the exit as part of a broader restructuring. The internal memo revealed the restructuring narrative was primarily a cover to remove the manager. Concurrently,...
By HR Daily (Australia)
News•Feb 17, 2026
Why Most Workplace Training Doesn't Shift Problematic Behaviour
Most employers treat sexual‑harassment training as a compliance checkbox rather than a cultural transformation tool. Felicity Menzies of Culture Plus Consulting warns that such programs often trigger defensiveness, especially among men, and can actually reduce the likelihood of recognizing and...
By HR Daily (Australia)
News•Feb 16, 2026
Court Throws Out Adverse Action Claim From Employee Sacked "without Just Cause"
The Federal Circuit Court ruled that being subject to an apprehended domestic violence order does not provide protection from adverse action under the Fair Work Act. Judge Lisa Doust dismissed the employee’s claim, finding no reasonable prospect of success. The...
By HR Daily (Australia)
News•Feb 16, 2026
Workforce Decisions Ignoring Crucial 'Capability' Assessment
Employers often overlook "capability"—the blend of life experiences, behavioural preferences and natural task affinity—leading to hiring decisions that are "one level too high." Mike Erlin of AbilityMap argues that aligning skills with measured capability in hiring, development and internal moves...
By HR Daily (Australia)
News•Feb 13, 2026
Employer Liable for Psych Injury Caused by Abusive Client's Phone Call
Queensland Industrial Relations Commissioner Samantha Pidgeon ruled that an employee’s psychological injury caused by an abusive client phone call is compensable. The commission rejected the regulator’s argument that the worker’s sensitivity or lack of resilience absolved the employer. The decision...
By HR Daily (Australia)
News•Feb 13, 2026
New Law Treats AI and Technology as a "Unique Hazard"
New South Wales passed the Work Health and Safety Amendment (Digital Work Systems) Bill, creating a Digital Work System Duty that obligates employers to ensure algorithms, AI, automation and online platforms do not endanger workers. The legislation follows a similar...
By HR Daily (Australia)
News•Feb 13, 2026
Spotlight on Strengths-Based Design Elevates Neuroinclusion
Workplaces that adopt strengths‑based design for neurodiverse employees can unlock hidden innovation, according to occupational therapist and Rehab Management CEO Renee Thornton. While many managers already provide informal adjustments, few embed strengths‑focused approaches into organizational frameworks. Thornton argues that most...
By HR Daily (Australia)