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Termination
the in/voluntary ending of an employment contract
Retirement
voluntary termination. employee gives up work to no longer be part of the workforce.
Retirement Entitlements
unclaimed annual or long-service leave
Retirement Transition Considerations
-assistance in preparing retirement plan
-access to support and advice services to prepare
Resignation
voluntary termination. employee ceases their employment to find work elsewhere. must give 2-4 weeks notice.
Resignation Entitlements
any unclaimed annual/long-service leave
Resignation Transition Support
letter of reference, act as referee for resume
Annual Leave
paid time off that an employee is entitled to take in a year
Long-Service Leave
paid time off granted to employees who have worked with the same employer for a certain number of years.
Redundancy
in/voluntary termination. job is no longer required and ceases to exist.
Redundancy/Retrenchment Entitlements
-severance/redundancy payment
-any unclaimed annual/long-service leave
Redundancy/Retrenchment Transition Support
-sufficient early notice
-outplacement services
-access to a trained counsellor
-letter of reference
Retrenchment
involuntary termination. person terminated because there is not enough work to justify paying them.
Workplace Relations
employer and employee relationship, determine acceptable level of pay and working conditions for both to minimise conflict.
Dismissal
involuntary. employee terminated due to poor performance or behaviour breaches contract
Dismissal Entitlements
-written notice of dismissal
-payment in lieu of notice
-sufficient notice based on years of service (1 year = 1 week)
Employees Want
higher wages, better working conditions
Both Want
increased productivity, business survival
Employers Want
higher profits, low costs
Effective workplace relations
employees satisfied, business productive and profitable, no disputes
Workplace Relations Participants in INTERNAL Environment
employers, employees, HR managers
Workplace Relations Participants in EXTERNAL Environment
unions, government, fair work commission
Role of HR Manager in Workplace Relations
deal with disputes, ensure employees receive correct wages/entitlements
Role of Employees in Workplace Relations
negotiate individual contracts, communicate grievances/concerns
Union
organisation formed by employees in the industry aiming to improve wages and working conditions.
Role of Unions in Workplace Relations
listen to grievances, organise industrial action
Role of Employer Associations in Workplace Relations
keep members informed of legislative changes, help members in negotiating workplace agreements
Employer Associations
union but for employers. united employers which promote the common interests of employers in workplace relations issues.
Fair Work Commission
Australia's national workplace relations tribunal created by the Fair Work Act (2009)
Role of Fair Work Commission in Workplace Relations
umpire for unions vs employer associations, deal with unfair dismissal applications, approve workplace agreements, set national minimum standards of wages and working conditions
Centralised System Methods
industry-wide awards
Decentralised System Methods
collective (enterprise) agreement, individual contracts
Industry Wide Awards
legally binding wages and conditions that apply to specific industries. (Set by Fair Work Comission, etc)
Purpose of Modernisation of Awards
to remove inconsistencies and overlaps in awards.
Pros of using Awards to determine Wages and Conditions
wage equality, employees represented by skilled negotiators (unions)
Cons of using Awards to determine Wages and Conditions
inflexible system, hard to establish individualized incentives to work
Collective (Enterprise) Agreement
negotiated directly between employer and employees which covers all members of the business.
Collective (Enterprise) Agreement Pros
more flexible system, agreements linked to productivity, stronger relations between employer/employee, industrial disputes contained to a workplace
Collective (Enterprise) Agreement Cons
greater wage inequality, less collective employee strength, disputes can drag on
Individual Contracts
legally binding agreement between employer and individual employee directly.
National Employment Standards
Max weekly hours of regular work
Right to request flexible work arrangements
Parental leave
Annual leave
Personal, carers, compassionate leave
Community service leave
Long-service leave
Public holidays
Notice of termination and redundancy pay
Provision of Fair Work Information Statement (details rights and Entitlements of employees, how to seek assistance)
Industrial Disputes
significant conflict/disagreements can lead to a breakdown in workplace relations and industrial action occurring.
Industrial Action
employees and/or employees taking action (e.g. strike) against other party to force a settlement and end a dispute, or gain improvements in terms of agreement.
Cons of Disputes
time consuming, costly, damaging to morale, motivations, relations
Passive Resistance
employees show lack of cooperation, absenteeism
Work to Rule
employees do no more than bare minimum
Boycott
employees refuse to do something
Stop-Work Meeting
employees meet during work hours to discuss issue
Picket Line
employees physically form line outside of premises to block people entering
Strike
employees withdraw their labour. Production ceases.
Lock Out
employer doesn't allow workers access to building to perform their work.
Protected Industrial Action
any action taken that has been approved by Fair Work Commission (FWC)
Unprotected Industrial Action
actions not approved by Fair Work Commission (FWC)
Internal Dispute Resolutions
negotiation and mediation
External Dispute Resolutions
conciliation and arbitration
Negotiation
the two parties discuss aiming to come to an agreement.
Mediation
third party involved to help others communicate in negotiation process.
Conciliation
mediator is FWC rather than other employer/employee.
Arbitration
FWC acts as judge in court-like setting. Legally binding.
Grievance Procedures
orderly system of steps to resolve a dispute between employee and employer.
The Grievance Procedures
Employees talk to management about problem.
Management listens and tries to resolve problem. Senior management if no resolution.
Independent body involved for mediation.
FWC involved for conciliation.
Matter arbitrated by FWC.
Severance Pay
a one-time payment some employers provide when terminating an employee
Award
set of legally binding wages and conditions that apply to specific industries