As an Australian employer, you probably think that the many employment laws are in place to stifle your growth and to make running a business more difficult than it actually should be. What you should know however is that employment laws are there to protect not only the employees but you and the employer as well. As we all know, your single biggest and best asset are the people that you surround yourself with when trying to run a business because if they are not with you then your business is sure to fail.
Knowledge is power as we all know and that’s why it makes sense to equip yourself with the knowledge about employment law and what it is that you need to do to be compliant and to not be subject to any court cases. In the event that it happens, you will need to engage with employment lawyers in Sydney whose job it is to get you out of these difficult situations in as quick a time as possible and as cheaply as possible. There are a number of ways to prevent workplace issues as an Australian employer and the following are some of them.
- Follow all employment conditions – There are rules and regulations in place to make sure that the workplace is a fair place for everyone to go. It makes sense to compensate your staff for the work that they do and so make sure that you offer them what is stipulated as the minimum wage but try to stand out from the crowd and pay them a little better than your competitors do. Make sure that they get their entitlements when it comes to leave and offer them resolutions if they have some kind of employment dispute.
- Provide a safe place to work – There are standards set out when it comes to the health and safety in any working environment. Your staff should not be worried about having to come to their place of employment because they have a genuine fear that they will get hurt carrying out the job that you pay them to do.
- Do not discriminate – This is something that you already know but a gentle reminder is always useful. You cannot hire or fire someone based on their race and certainly not because of their gender. You shouldn’t be trying to push someone out because they are getting older and remember that this is the individual that got you to where you are today and has been with your company for over a few decades.
You also need to make sure that your employees get their annual leave before they burn themselves out and that they receive all public holidays as well. If you need employees to work on days off then you need to compensate them with suitable remuneration so that they are happy to work for the extra money. Do all that you can to keep your employees happy and your business will experience real financial success.
