Here at Cornerstone we are passionate about empowering business owners and managers to better understand the ways they can better manage their team with practical HR support and advice. If you like these articles and want similar info and updates sent straight to your inbox, sign up to our mailing list here.

While our articles are general in nature, we understand every workplace and situation is unique. If you are interested to know how we can help improve or support your business, get in touch with us today.

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04 June 2026

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,...

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27 May 2026

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...

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20 May 2026

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...

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13 May 2026

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...

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05 May 2026

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....

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21 April 2026

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...

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14 April 2026

When you’re running a business, it’s not uncommon to hear things like “They stole from us.” “They were completely inappropriate at work.” “Surely that’s instant dismissal.” In many cases, the behaviour really is serious enough to justify termination. But a recent decision from the...

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08 April 2026

Victoria is on track to become the first Australian state to introduce a legislated right to work from home, a move that signals a major shift in how workplaces will operate. While the legislation is not yet final, the direction is...

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31 March 2026

If your workplace policies haven’t been reviewed in the last 12–18 months, there’s a growing risk they’re already outdated, and potentially exposing your business to legal claims. With the rapid rise of medicinal cannabis, changing social attitudes, and evolving Fair Work...

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24 March 2026

If you run a café, bar, restaurant, or hotel, this is something you’ve probably dealt with. A casual worker slowly stops appearing on the roster, weeks turn into months, sometimes even a year. So, it’s easy to assume, they’re not really...

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