Human Resources – A Major Focus

Human Resources (HR) plays an essential role in developing strategy as well as handling the employee-centred activities of a practice.

So many practices struggle through without any form of HR support despite the constant changes in employment legislation.

The person who manages HR needs to ensure that policies, procedures, employee handbooks, staff entitlements/employment contracts, job descriptions etc are all up to date. They also need to ensure that they keep up with changes to the Fair Work Act/National Employment Standards – hefty fines apply should there be a breach.

Practices need to ensure a HR strategy is developed and is in place. The correct ratio of staff, staff are rostered effectively and ensuring you are managing entitlements (e.g. sick leave, super etc.) can assist in cost savings for the practice.

To reduce turnover and improve employee retention, HR needs to ensure correct recruitment/selection and induction procedures/checklists are in place.

The Fair Work Ombudsman was established to ensure compliance with Commonwealth Workplace laws. Fair Work Inspectors come into play if someone has complained of a workplace issue/dispute or there has been a breach of workplace laws.  During an investigation, the Fair Work Inspectors gather evidence related to the request, such as time and wage records, employment contracts and other documents depending on what is being investigated. Fines of up to $10,200 (individual) and $51,000 (practice) can apply for failing to give evidence or provide information or records by a due date.

Practices want to be known as the “employee of choice”. Employers of choice are the practices that receive recognition for the way they treat employees; they are the companies for whom people want to work. Becoming an employer of choice means human resources develops a balance between recruiting the most qualified applicants, selecting the most suitable candidates and retaining the most talented employees.