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For years, many businesses have followed the same pattern. A complaint is made. An investigation takes place. A settlement is negotiated. Those days are rapidly coming to an end. As of 1 July 2026, Victoria became the first Australian jurisdiction to prohibit employer-initiated non-disclosure agreements...
As the financial year comes to a close, most business owners are focused on budgets, tax planning and year-end reporting. What often gets overlooked is one of the biggest risks facing many businesses today, people and compliance risk. Over the past...
Let’s be honest. For many business owners, EOFY salary reviews feel harder this year than they have in a long time. Employees are feeling the impact of rising living costs. Many have seen headlines about wage increases, inflation and labour shortages...
Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing workplaces faster than many businesses anticipated. Automation, digital systems, workflow tools, and AI-driven processes are already reducing manual tasks across administration, operations, customer service, and support functions. But while many organisations are focused on productivity gains...
The Fair Work Commission has announced a 4.75% increase to award wages and a 6% increase to the National Minimum Wage from 1 July 2026. Learn what it means for your business, payroll compliance, contracts and labour costs. For many business owners,...
A business owner recently told me “We don’t really use AI in our business yet.” Ten minutes later, their team mentioned using ChatGPT to draft client emails, AI note-takers in meetings, Canva AI for marketing content, and automated tools to screen...
Last month, we spoke with a business owner who genuinely believed their biggest workplace risk was underperformance. It wasn’t. Not even close. The real issue sitting quietly underneath the surface was manager behaviour, inconsistent processes, exhausted employees and leaders trying to “push...
A recent Fair Work Commission decision has sent a strong warning to Australian business owners; you do not need a formal termination letter for a dismissal to legally exist. In May 2026, the Fair Work Commission ruled that a polite message...
When a business changes direction, restructures, or looks to improve efficiency, roles can become unnecessary. In these situations, many employers move quickly to label the decision a “redundancy.” But under IR laws redundancy isn’t just a label, it’s a legal test....
Most business owners don’t realise this until it’s too late; you can be following the “right” HR advice, and still be non-compliant. We see it all the time. A business comes to us confident they’re operating under the national system, only...