Get Ready for the Employment Law Changes Happening in August 2024
25/07/2024
By David Brown, General Manager
Cast your mind back to February this year and all the media reports around the Closing ...
Workplace Culture – Live Your Values
21/07/2024
Clients often ask us: “how do we create and maintain a positive organisational culture?”
In the 13 years we’ve been ...
The Role of HR Consultants in Australian Startups
19/07/2024
By David Brown, General Manager
Introduction
Anyone who has ever been involved with or worked at a startup will recognise ...
How Business Owners Can Better Manage Employees for Greater Small Business Success
16/07/2024
Crucial Employee Management Tips For Small Businesses
On a recent episode of Small Business Banter, Natasha Hawker and ...
AI to create 200000 jobs in Australia by 2030
09/07/2024
AI Revolution in Australia: 200,000 New Jobs by 2030 and Its Impact on Our Workforce
Natasha Hawker discusses on Sunrise ...
Aussie Teens Head to Work
09/07/2024
How Aussie teens are stepping up and entering the workforce to help contribute to the household, as cost-of-living ...
5 Reasons to Outsource Your HR
20/06/2024
By David Brown, General Manager
Outsourcing some or all of your HR functions makes sense for any growing organisations, ...
Navigating the ‘Right to Disconnect’: What Australian Businesses Need to Know
17/06/2024
As many of you will have seen in the media earlier in the year, the ‘Right to Disconnect’ was a hot topic. Doing a ...
National Minimum Wage Increase Announced
14/06/2024
Fair Work have announced a 3.75% Minimum Wage Increase - Here is all you need to know.
As usual at this time of year, the ...
Do you need a medical certificate to take time off work?
04/06/2024
Newcastle GP says unnecessary appointments for medical certificates are wasting doctors' time.
Natasha Hawker was ...
Webinar: 5 Reasons Your FY25 Budget Needs to Centre on Your Employees
23/05/2024
In the face of current economic challenges, it’s critical that business owners and people leaders invest in their ...
HR Policy Development – A Guide to Best Practice
21/05/2024
Why have Human Resources Policies?
How many times have you heard (or said), ‘we need less red tape’, ‘it’s ...
Employer ordered to pay workers’ compensation for contacting employee on sick leave
08/05/2024
Legal Consequences Unveiled: Employer's Contact with Sick Leave Employee Leads to Compensation Order
In a recent interview...
Implementing Employer-Paid Parental Leave Policies
01/05/2024
Where does Australia rank in terms of Paid Parental Leave? It is fair to say that when it comes to Paid Parental Leave ...
Australian Workers Can Double Their Annual Leave in a New ACTU Proposal
18/04/2024
Employees in Australia could soon double their annual leave at half pay under new ACTU proposal
Employee Matters' Managing...
‘Entitled’ young Aussies ditch one major Boomer rule
11/04/2024
Natasha Hawker, Founder and Managing Director of Employee Matters, was recently quoted in a Yahoo Finance article by ...
Workplaces getting creative in trying to lure staff back into the office with extra leave, free lunch and more
11/04/2024
How Employers Are Encouraging the Return to the Workplace
In the wake of the pandemic, workplaces are deploying innovative...
The Impact of HR Management Services on Business Success
03/04/2024
By David Brown, General Manager
Gone are the days when Human Resources (HR) was seen as the soft, fluffy administrative ...
Working from Home: Shifting Towards Flexible Hours Beyond the 9 to 5 Shift
14/03/2024
Embracing Flexibility in Remote Work
Is this the end of the 9 to 5? A new push aims to let parents choose their work ...
Employee Assistance Program – Why It’s Vital for Your Organisation
12/03/2024
In a market worth $327m per year and growing at 3.7% year on year over the last five years, Employee Assistance Programs ...
Bridging The Gender Pay Gap in Australia
11/03/2024
In February 2023, the Australian Government took a decisive step towards addressing the gender pay gap with the ...
WEBINAR: Major Employee Relations Legislation Changes: SMEs – Are You Prepared?
06/03/2024
Employee relations legislation changes are impacting all businesses of all sizes. Are you prepared to meet the new ...
What Do the New Industrial Relations Laws Mean for Your Business?
23/02/2024
In a recent episode of Small Biz Matters, Natasha Hawker discussed the impact of Australia's new Industrial Relations (IR)...
Post-Pandemic Evolution in the Workplace
23/02/2024
Over the past four years, the work landscape has undergone a transformative journey, reshaping how we approach our ...
Your Guide to Navigating Employee Terminations
09/02/2024
In this article, we're delving into a topic that might make some business leaders break into a cold sweat – employee ...
How to Create a Positive Counselling Environment: Tips for HR Professionals
05/02/2024
Performance counselling is a valuable tool used to ensure that employees perform work in a manner consistent their job ...
Right to Disconnect: Switching off from work could become a legal right
05/02/2024
Introduced to Parliament in March 2023, the Fair Work Amendment 'Right to Disconnect' Bill 2023 aims to prevent employers ...
Should Australia consider moving to 5 weeks of annual leave
15/01/2024
Natasha Hawker was a guest on Channel 7's Sunrise programme today to discuss annual leave. Currently the norm and indeed ...
The Importance of Transparency in Workplace Monitoring and Surveillance Policies
19/12/2023
The impact of COVID-19 extended the concept of workplaces, with government restrictions during lockdown mandating working ...
5 Key Components of Successful Workplace Disciplinary Action Policies & Procedures
12/12/2023
In any thriving organisation, maintaining high standards of conduct and behaviour is crucial for maintaining order, fostering...
Employee Misconduct: The Role of HR in Managing Cases
05/12/2023
Despite high-profile cases and an ongoing push in Australia for policies and training aimed at decreasing cases of employee ...
Understanding Redundancy: A Comprehensive Overview for Employers
28/11/2023
As organisations grow, change, and face new challenges, there will be instances where someone’s role is no longer needed. ...
Webinar: ER Legislation Changes
08/11/2023
This webinar, hosted by Employee Matters founder Natasha Hawker, addresses the ER Legislation Changes rolled out across ...
How to Protect Your Team and Your Business Against Wage Underpayments
19/10/2023
Wage underpayments are a pressing concern for both employees and employers. Not only can they lead to legal consequences, ...
Pawternity Leave
13/09/2023
In today's exceptionally tight candidate market, employers are getting creative with benefits. Pawternity leave, a growing ...
Pay Transparency Explained: Everything HR Professionals Need to Know
13/09/2023
New legislation means Australian companies can no longer include pay secrecy clauses in their employment contracts. A ban on ...
Webinar: Unlocking Payroll’s Potential to Enhance Employee Engagement
13/09/2023
Payroll is evolving into a powerful tool for boosting your organisation's Employee Experience (EX) and Employee Value ...
Experts debate subtle tricks bosses use in job interviews to test candidates
08/08/2023
Job interviews can be among the most nerve-wracking human experiences. From the overthinking of potential questions and ...
New Paid Family and Domestic Violence Leave & Respect@Work
21/06/2023
Are you aware of the updates to the Paid Family and Domestic Violence Leave entitlements? We're here to guide you through it ...
Bare Minimum Mondays is the new Gen Z, Millennial office trend
12/04/2023
A new trend is emerging in the wake of the Great Resignation, Quiet Quitting and other workplace movements. It promises to ...
How to encourage reporting of sexual harassment
11/04/2023
New study finds 1 in 5 retail workers harassed on the job – and leaders need to step up, say experts. Since December last...
Money News Karalee Katsambanis March 09 2023
10/03/2023
Natasha Hawker was a guest of Karalee Katsambanis on Radio 6PR Perth. They talked about the rising cost of living and staff...
How do you hire in a worker shortage?
07/03/2023
IF you frequent any local cafe, it’s likely you’ve seen job vacancies advertised on the business’ front window. ...
‘Unsavoury and difficult’: Instances of wage theft reach record highs
13/02/2023
It took four years for Melbourne’s Antony Balmain to finally receive unpaid wages from his previous employer. The media ...
Are You Ready for the New Respect@Work Rules?
05/02/2023
From 6 March, 2023, the The Fair Work Act will prohibit sexual harassment in connection with work, which includes the ...
Be Ready for the New Employment Changes in 2023
24/01/2023
Update: Download the free guide!
Click here to download the 2023 Employee Relations Compliance Guide: A new ...
Lying on your CV
16/01/2023
Listen to Natasha Hawker's answer as Bec & Soda of SA FM Adelaide ask: Is it right or wrong to lie on your CV or resume?...
Wage Theft
13/01/2023
Natasha Hawker talks with Cathie Schnitzerling on ABC Radio about Wage Theft. What it is, how you can identify and remedy ...
Conduct unbecoming: How cyber bullying crashed work culture
17/10/2022
Despite many employees having less face-to-face contact with colleagues during COVID lockdowns, bullying in the workplace ...
Managing Mental Health in the Workplace – And Why You Should Pay Attention
27/09/2022
In this post-COVID era, latest statistics suggest that two in five Australians aged 16-85 years (43.7% or 8.6 million people)...
HR Culture, Law and Systems
27/06/2022
Back to the future of work...
This audio recording is from a seminar exploring strategies for – and the legal ...
The age of entitlement: How to manage demanding employees
22/04/2022
The mentality of working with an employer for 30 plus years and receiving a gold watch upon retirement are long gone. It is ...
HR in the C-suite: How to identify and hire future leaders
31/03/2022
With a talent shortage looming around the world, and potential hires becoming more demanding about what they expect from a ...
Stay interviews – Getting them right
16/03/2022
With the COVID-19 pandemic only increasing the competitiveness within the job market, it is even more important...
Plan an office party to remember for all the right reasons
15/11/2021
An end-of-year party is the perfect way to celebrate success and reward your staff.
Natasha Hawker, managing director of HR ...
Managing your People in Lockdown
27/07/2021
With more than half the country in one form of lockdown or another and with Sydney, in particular, looking like the lockdown ...
The Super Guarantee Increase and what it means for you
10/06/2021
What’s happening? From 1 July this year the mandatory superannuation guarantee will increase by 0.5%. Currently, ...
Your Career Podcast with Jane Jackson and Natasha Hawker
16/12/2020
Natasha Hawker talks to Jane Jackson on this episode of the Your Career podcast In this conversation with CEO of...
New Overtime Entitlement for Many Casuals
01/12/2020
New rules relating to paying casual employees overtime have come into effect from 20 November 2020. If you ...
Lost your job because of the coronavirus pandemic? Here are the five calls you should make
30/09/2020
The impact of coronavirus on employment is expected to continue — and intensify — as cuts to the Federal Government's ...
What is the ‘stress cliff’ and how can you avoid it?
24/09/2020
With small businesses working overtime to make it out the other side of the pandemic, many SME owners haven’t had a chance ...
JobKeeper ‘bloodbath’ looming with job losses, redundancies expected
24/09/2020
The coronavirus crisis has devastated countless livelihoods – but there’s a new threat facing businesses and everyday ...
The Basics – Job Keeper 2.0 – Fair Work Act Update
22/09/2020
First of all the good news - As we know now, the government has extended the JobKeeper scheme through to March 2021, albeit ...
JobKeeper 2.0: “The good, the bad and the ugly”
10/09/2020
For many small business owners, the news that JobKeeper will now run until March 2021 has come as a welcome relief. The ...
Changes to JobKeeper
24/07/2020
Having already supported 960,000 businesses and 3.5 million workers, the Australian Federal Government has announced a ...
ABC Radio Sydney interview – Natasha Hawker and Sarah Macdonald
16/06/2020
Natasha Hawker was interviewed on ABC Radio Sydney 702 by Sarah Macdonald on 15 June 2020 - they talked about the importance ...
Consider This Before Applying for an Internship If You’ve Had Prior Work Experience
16/06/2020
Consider These Red Flags Before Applying for an Internship With Prior Work Experience
Job seekers in Australia with previous...
HR & Your People During COVID-19
12/06/2020
Natasha Hawker, Managing Director of Employee Matters, joins Craig West to share her views on the future of work ...
Recruiting in a Post-Pandemic World
02/06/2020
As we contemplate the employment landscape and the seismic shifts that have occurred over the past months, it is somewhat...
How To Talk To Your Boss About More Flexibility Post-Pandemic
26/05/2020
Two career experts share a step-by-step guide to convincing your boss to allow you a more flexible working arrangement....
BBC Radio 4 Podcast – Business Matters
21/04/2020
We look at the impact of coronavirus pandemic on the Australian economy. Accountancy firm EY has been ordered to pay ...
Working From Home while Homeschooling
20/04/2020
As many of us find ourselves in this most unusual situation of homeschooling our children while also trying to work from ...
COVID-19 RESPONSE – AWARD UPDATES
14/04/2020
In response to the COVID-19 crisis, the Fair Work Commission has made a determination to make temporary variations to 99 ...
JobKeeper/ Fair Work Act Changes
09/04/2020
COVID 19 RESPONSE
In response to the COVID-19 crisis and to assist with the implementation of the #JobKeeper scheme, the ...
COVID-19 RESPONSE – AWARD CHANGES
07/04/2020
In response to the COVID-19 outbreak and, in particular to support some of the hardest hit industries, the Fair Work ...
What exactly is a stand down and when can it be executed?
06/04/2020
The challenging and evolving nature of the COVID-19 outbreak on businesses has brought to the forefront the provision of ...
The Federal Government JobKeeper Scheme Explained
01/04/2020
Yesterday’s introduction of the Australian government's $130 billion stimulus package, came as welcome relief for many ...
Q+A tackles the financial cost of the coronavirus crisis as worried Australians eye economic depression
01/04/2020
A roundup of this week's Q&A on ABC Australia which featured Employee Matters Director, Natasha Hawker. The panel and...
How to help employees adapt to new technology
26/03/2020
There’s no doubt that advances in technology are changing the way we work. SEEK research reveals that while 2 in 3 (64%) ...
Navigating the New Normal: A Comprehensive Guide to Remote Work and Health & Safety Audits
23/03/2020
In the wake of the global shift towards remote work, businesses worldwide have undergone a significant transformation in ...
Employee Matters Supporting You in Uncertain Times
23/03/2020
As you know at Employee Matters our vision is ‘Achieving Business Success Through Your People’. In these testing and ...
Handling the Coronavirus Crisis in your business
17/03/2020
Our Director, Natasha Anne Hawker was interviewed on ABC Australia's Sunday Afternoons radio programme. Hear Natasha talk...
The Rise and Rise of Soft Skills in the Workplace
11/03/2020
By Sally Crowe The workplace is changing! It is more demanding, more complex, more competitive, more collaborative and ...
Respect@Work – New Proposals for tackling Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
09/03/2020
It has been a busy year already for employers to manage changes in workplace regulations and events impacting business. New ...
The Five Steps you should take to protect your business and employees during the Coronavirus crisis
06/03/2020
Important advice for business owners regarding the coronavirus crisis. Natasha Hawker explains the steps that you can take to...
Annualised Wage Provision Change
10/02/2020
Do you pay your employees an “all up amount” annualised salary? For some awards there are significant changes on the way ...
Important Coronavirus Information for Employers
03/02/2020
CORONAVIRUS INFORMATION FOR EMPLOYERS The information contained in this document is current as of 11 February 2020. This ...
Nacre / Cathy Love and Natasha Hawker- Hiring, Managing and Retaining Employees in your Allied Health Business
20/01/2020
Human Resources is one of the hardest things to manage when it comes to business. Employee Matters is a company that helps ...
Non-smokers get extra holidays at UK firm- and it could happen in Australia
17/01/2020
A business in the UK is offering staff who don't smoke an extra four days annual leave and an Australian employment ...
ABC Radio with Sarah Macdonald and Natasha Hawker
10/01/2020
ABC Radio's Sarah Macdonald talks to Natasha Hawker about first jobs, and how the 'first job landscape' has changed in recent...
ABC Radio with Emma Crowe and Natasha Hawker
28/11/2019
Natasha Hawker talks to Emma Crowe at ABC Radio Sydney about older workers, the unconscious or even conscious bias that they ...
MAKE NO MISTAKE – THE INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS THEME FOR 2020 IS ‘WAGE THEFT’
07/10/2019
The Coalition wins the election and Labor’s argument that the reduction in penalty rates, for some sectors is unfair, does ...
How To Build Employee Assets And Not Liabilities
22/08/2019
Natasha Hawker and Caroline De Kimpe of New Horizon Coaching talk about building employee assets - not liabilities In this...
Why the war for talent just got a whole lot tougher
21/08/2019
You’re a growing business offering a competitive package with flexible working conditions and all the latest benefits, but ...
The dos and don’ts of protecting your privacy while job hunting
09/08/2019
When you search for a job, you’re often asked to provide a lot of personal information. But how do you know that ...
One Flew Over The Business Nest – Mental Health in the Workplace
06/08/2019
Employers have a 'duty of care' and the latest stats are suggesting that one in four Australian employees between the age of ...
Will the new rules around Whistleblowers and Modern Slavery affect your business? – The Answer May Surprise You!
17/07/2019
This year has seen two pieces of legislation come out that, on the face of it, target corporates and large private companies....
Our Freshly Minted Mentor – Natasha Hawker
14/06/2019
We are incredibly proud of our Founder, Natasha Hawker, who is now an accredited Mentor at Mentored with Mark Bouris. ...
Employee Matters Acquires Master HR Solutions Client Base
16/05/2019
Here at Employee Matters we have a great track record, growing the business organically at 30%-40% per year for the last few ...
How do I manage leave during the Easter and Anzac Day period?
18/04/2019
By Catherine Williams A study by travel website Expedia of more than 11,000 people found Australian workers take less ...
Natasha Hawker with Kate Stevenson and Stephen Quartermain on Melbourne’s 3AW
17/04/2019
It’s a good time to be an employee, with many set for a bumper long weekend starting on Friday. This year Good Friday, ...
WHO KNEW STARTING A BUSINESS COULD MEAN JAIL TIME
12/04/2019
Most Startups begin with and are driven by Big Dreams with a sweeping vision and lots of risk for failure thrown in for good ...
Natasha Hawker on The Importance of HR & How To Increase Your Giving As Your Business Grows
05/04/2019
Harvey Pene from the Inspiring Business for Good Podcast talks to Natasha Hawker on : How to step up your giving as your...
Black Swan Group’s Expert Trainer and Coach, Derek Gaunt, Releases Book Aimed at Improving Corporate Productivity
01/03/2019
New Book, "Ego, Authority, Failure", Teaches Business Leaders How to Become Better Managers by Using Hostage Negotiations and...
Plugged and Unplanned Booktopia Podcast with Tony Nash and Natasha Hawker – Part 3
28/02/2019
In her early career, Natasha Hawker worked in Banking and Finance and as a Recruiter before focusing her skills on Human ...
Plugged and Unplanned Booktopia Podcast with Tony Nash and Natasha Hawker Part 2
14/02/2019
In her early career, Natasha Hawker worked in Banking and Finance and as a Recruiter before focusing her skills on Human ...
Plugged and Unplanned Booktopia Podcast with Tony Nash and Natasha Hawker – Part 1
28/02/2019
In her early career, Natasha Hawker worked in Banking and Finance and as a Recruiter before focusing her skills on Human ...
Human Resources Legislation – Podcast with Natasha Hawker and Craig West
01/02/2019
Your employees are your biggest asset and could be your biggest risk. Host and CEO of Mentored, Craig West, speaks to ...
A day in the life of a modern athlete
30/01/2019
Modern athletes and sporting stars such as David Beckham and Jessica Ennis-Hill are an inspiration to many school pupils; ...
Natasha Hawker Talks Job References with Mark Fennell from ABC Radio
17/01/2019
Natasha Hawker talks with Mark Fennell on ABC Radio about job references: when should should get them; what you should ask; ...
More Changes to the Regulations around Casual Workers
02/01/2019
By Catherine Tratsellas As we have highlighted in previous articles, a recent Federal Court of Australia decision found ...
Remote working… Is it worth the hype???
14/12/2018
Remote working is something that has changed the workplace environment. However, alongside its many positives, the ...
Changes to Flexible Work Legislation
06/12/2018
We think it’s important that all employers are aware of recent changes to flexible work legislation that have been ...
Talking Law Podcast with Joanna Oakey and Natasha Hawker
08/11/2018
Mining the value in your business Natasha talked with Joanna Oakey of Aspect Legal on the concept of employee engagement...
Changes to Victoria Long Service Leave
05/11/2018
Changes to Victoria Long Service Leave-effective November 1st There will be substantial changes to long service leave in ...
Tattoos in the Workplace, Taboo or OK?
23/10/2018
Natasha Hawker talks with Sarah McDonald on ABC Radio in this interview which aired Friday, 19 October 2018. Listen in here...
Oh my god – how much worse can it get?
08/10/2018
Recently, a client shared with me something that was happening with one of her valued team members that just seemed so unfair...
Are your casual employees entitled to take leave?
19/09/2018
By Stacy Gershberg A recent decision has been made by the Fair Work Commission (effective 1st October 2018) to include a...
How to get the best ROI on your management spend (and reduce employee disputes)
14/09/2018
Natasha Hawker was a guest on the Aspect Legal "Talking Law" podcast - together they drilled into how you can potentially ...
Why your boss is allowed to read your emails and check your browser history
04/09/2018
Have you ever fired off an inappropriate joke to a colleague via email? Or maybe you've watched something you shouldn't have ...
Stopping Bullying and Harassment Before it Starts – With a Great Communication Policy
23/08/2018
By Morgan Howard In the media lately, we hear A LOT about bullying and harassment cases; disturbing accounts of incidents ...
Are you in your 20s and struggling to find full-time work? You’re not alone
20/08/2018
Employee Matters director Natasha Hawker provides employee support to businesses and individuals around Australia. She ...
Office workers share the most passive aggressive ‘sign off’ phrases used in emails (and why using ‘thanks’ is a no go)
13/08/2018
An email signature might seem like a trivial part of work but a workplace expert says it can make or brake the ...
How to Format Your CV
10/08/2018
Published by Bowen Eldridge - When it comes to recruitment, consider your CV as an advert about you. Now think, would you be...
Make No Mistake – The Industrial Relations Theme for 2020 is ‘Wage Theft’
04/10/2019
The Coalition wins the election and Labor’s argument that the reduction in penalty rates, for some sectors is unfair, does ...
Important Update – Introducing Family and Domestic Violence Leave
02/08/2018
By Paul Ackerman Following a recent decision by the Fair Work Commission, Modern Awards have been amended effective ...
Natasha Hawker talks to XY Advisers on Hiring, Managing and Firing Employees in Financial Services
01/08/2018
Advisers don’t start a financial planning business purely to take on and manage employees. But growth often requires ...
The Four Types of ‘Leaders’ in Business. Which One Are You?
24/07/2018
Poor leadership can, and will, increase employee turnover – and the associated costs involved with re-hiring, re-training ...
Natasha Hawker addresses the Savvy Dentist Conference June 2018
19/07/2018
In this video, Natasha talks about: Accessorial Liability
Employee Lifecycle
Employee Asset Model
Unfair ...
Could You Be Guilty Of Wage Theft?
19/07/2018
Businesses in Australia are becoming subject to an increasing focus on incidents of wage theft. The Fair Work Amendment ...
Reminder: Award Rate Increases from 1 July 2018
19/07/2018
By Paul Ackerman The Fair Work Commission’s annual wage review decision came into effect from 1 July 2018. The decision ...
Are You Ready For A Fair Work Audit?
19/07/2018
By Paul Ackerman In recent months the Fair Work Ombudsman has begun auditing one thousand businesses across Australia as ...
Succession Planning with Natasha Hawker and Geoff Green
13/07/2018
In this video blog, Natasha Hawker discusses succession planning with Geoff Green of author of Smart Business Exit Need ...
What is Employee Wellbeing?
13/07/2018
Employee wellbeing is a key issue that companies are striving to address to ensure that their employees remain happy and ...
Drugs at Work – Part IV
22/06/2018
By Nardia Vescovi-Diss Having gone through the suggestions in our previous blogs, having a clear policy, having those ...
Drugs at Work – Part III
22/06/2018
By Nardia Vescovi-Diss Great work, you’ve got your policies and procedures in place regarding Drugs and Alcohol, ...
Drugs at Work – Part II
20/06/2018
by Nardia Vescovi-Diss OK, so you’ve decided that it’s time to make sure that you’ve got your Work Health & ...
Drugs at Work – Part I
20/06/2018
by Nardia Vescovi-Diss Unless you’ve been somewhere with no access to the outside world over the past few years, you ...
Private Practice with Cathy Love
12/06/2018
Today on the podcast today we talk to Natasha Hawker, CEO of Employee Matters. Employee Matters provides employee support to ...
A Bulletproof Interview Process to Help You Achieve Recruitment Success
06/06/2018
By Natasha Hawker - Published in FBAA Broker Magazine May 2018 Recently a client of ours, in his excitement and against ...
Fair Work Commission hands down its Annual Wage Review decision
01/06/2018
Does this Impact Your Business? The Fair Work Commission has handed down its annual wage review decision delivering ...
So you think contractors are the answer to your employee issues? – Think Again!
15/05/2018
I bet you used to think that using Independent Contractors was easy. Essentially, they needed to be working for you for no ...
Do you pay Super for your Contractors? – If not READ THIS
15/05/2018
So you have have carefully studied the arrangements you have with your independent contractors and taken some good advice to ...
7 reasons to bring back the art of the business lunch
15/05/2018
What happens when you take a client out for a business lunch? You win more work, writes Natasha Hawker.
My career started in...
From Hire to Fire and Everything in Between: an Interview with Natasha Hawker and Jeremy Streton
10/05/2018
Natasha and Jeremy of Business Legal Lifecycle chatted about all things HR and the genesis of Employee Matters, the ...
Where has all our productivity gone?
27/04/2018
By Natasha Hawker Why are Australian businesses not reaching their potential when it comes to productivity? ...
Do you know your HR Basics? If not, Fair Work could be shining a spotlight on your business!
19/04/2018
By Kate Renton, Employee Expert The Fair Work Ombudsman has begun to audit 1000 businesses across Australia,...
Natasha Hawker discusses Single Touch Payroll Reporting with Simon Berglund, Vice President, Customers for Life – Sage
03/04/2018
Natasha Hawker sat down with Simon Berglund from Sage Australia and talked about the ATO introduction of Single Touch ...
Looking to Recruit Gen Z? You have 8.25 seconds… Go!
28/03/2019
By Kate Renton Facebook and LinkedIn are out – Snapchat and Instagram are in. And I’m not talking about where to post ...
No More 457 Visas from this month: How will this affect your Recruitment plans?
21/03/2018
Back in April 2017, the Government announced that they would be replacing the Temporary Work (Skilled) 457 visa with the ...
So it’s OK to Hire Only Non-Smokers – But Is it a Good idea?
21/03/2018
You may have seen our Managing Director, Natasha Hawker was interviewed for an ABC Online article last week on the ...
ABC Radio – Drive with Richard Glover Tuesday, 27 February 2018
08/03/2018
Natasha Hawker talked with Richard Glover on ABC Radio Drive Sydney on Tuesday, 27 February 2018. They discussed ...
Why employers need to be very worried about the #MeToo campaign – Four Things you can do to Protect your People
14/02/2018
By David Brown, Employee Expert As business owners, we're always managing risk and one of the risks that we see coming for...
Back to Basics: What to Include in Employee Contracts
12/02/2018
You may have been teeing up employee contracts for some time now – or perhaps you’re completely new to it – but taking ...
2018 Australian Recruitment Trends Report: The Industry’s Outlook for 2018
07/02/2018
The research takes a look into recruitment in Australia and detailed below is an overview of the industry’s outlook for ...
How to Create a Company Identity You’re Proud of
01/12/2017
So you’ve been doing this small business thing for a while now. You’ve got the logo, some employees and the business is ...
Working Sydney – Mornings with Wendy Harmer 20 Sept 2017
21/09/2017
Natasha was interviewed by Wendy Harmer on ABC Radio with Robyn Hobbs, Small Business Commissioner NSW As many as 98% of ...
ABC Radio – Evenings with Chris Bath
03/09/2017
Natasha Hawker discusses all things HR with Chris Bath on ABC Radio Listen in Here
The ABC’s of performance management
29/08/2017
Anyone in business today knows the importance of a high-performing employee. They can help you get the job done, bring in...
Small Business Spotlight: Natasha Hawker – Employee Matters
28/07/2017
Natasha Hawker works well with deadlines. It was what prompted her to have three children in three years, become a yacht ...
Can I Hire Someone for Free?
27/07/2017
By Sandra Rajendra, Employee Expert Can I Hire Someone for Free? Sure! You don’t have to pay someone in some ...
Private Practice with Cathy Love
27/06/2017
My guest this week is the incredibly talented Natasha Hawker, director of Employee Matters. She is an author, trainer, ...
How should you ask for a pay rise?
20/06/2017
If you were to go and ask for a pay rise, would you know the best way to go about it? The Reserve Bank Governor...
How to get the perfect employee
29/05/2017
Getting a detailed job brief is critical to the recruitment process. To ensure I know exactly what my clients are looking...
Finance Brokers Association of Australia (FBAA)
22/05/2017
Natasha Hawker speaks at the FBAA Annual Conference on the Gold Coast, November 2016
FBAA Broker Magazine June 2017
18/05/2017
Broker Magazine is published by the Finance Brokers Association of Australia Limited (FBAA) and distributed to more than ...
5 Tips to get off the Recruitment Merry-Go-Round
16/05/2017
I once worked for a company where the attrition rate was over 50% company-wide and the majority of new hires were not ...
Recruitment – how can I do it better?
16/05/2017
Most managers have had to do it at some point in their career but most have never been taught how and they bumble through...
Are you paying attention to the people that matter??
13/04/2017
By Stacy Gershberg, Employee Expert Have you ever walked into a shop and you couldn’t find anyone to help you? Or, ...
Are you sure you’re not sitting on a timebomb of unknown risk?
31/03/2017
You know what most Boards are continually trying to do - get results, increase profits and de-risk the business. So how is HR...
Why don’t we feel like we have a legitimate seat at the Board?
31/03/2017
Throughout my 23 year career in HR, we have had allegations of being ‘soft and fluffy’, or ‘chicks with slides’ -...
The Ten Commandments for successful HR People Strategy
17/03/2017
By Natasha Hawker People often ask me, if I could get one thing right around my people strategy, what would it be? ...
Why are our daughters not outnumbering the boys in the boardroom?
08/03/2017
One of the things that I get on “my soapbox” about is the disproportionate representation of women in the boardroom, and ...
The Power of Communication
24/02/2017
Communication is key to your success. It is so vital for a successful culture and business, it’s easy enough to do but ...
Cybercrime – it’s not science fiction – it’s a real threat
08/02/2017
As crime becomes more professional and lucrative for the criminal community, data owners need to review the way they ...
Why is now a good time to plan for your business?
07/02/2017
Do I hear groans? Yes, I know. “Plan” is not the sexiest word in business but it’s crucial to ensure your business ...
Changes coming to icare and what that means for you
31/01/2017
Icare will be introducing some changes early this year with the intention that it will make the workers insurance ...
Leaders the biggest expense rorters. How to avoid a scandal according to experts
12/01/2017
Senior leaders are the most likely to rort corporate expense claims and a "busy schedule" is not an excuse for doing so, ...
Dent – the Podcast
08/12/2016
Ep.33 Natasha Hawker on Hiring, Firing & High Performance Teams. Dent is consistently in the top 100 ...
5 Employee Costs To Know – To Stop You Going Broke
17/11/2016
We recently helped a client reduce their annual leave and long service leave liability from $790k down to $200k. Now this...
Understanding employee risk and reward in small businesses
01/11/2016
Managing people is usually the hardest part of running a successful small business so how do you make it less complicated ...
I’m a support person — get me out of here!
01/11/2016
It’s Friday afternoon and Christine, who has a series of documented performance failures, is about to be dismissed by you. ...
Fun fact: Policies make your life easier!
24/10/2016
Big milestone – you have your first few permanent or casual employees and work is starting to get done. You’re...
I’m a support person — get me out of here!
24/10/2016
It’s Friday afternoon and Christine, who has a series of documented performance failures, is about to be dismissed by ...
Dr Jesse Green Podcast – HR Secrets Every Dental Practice Owner Should Know
31/08/2016
In this episode, I chat with Natasha Hawker about savvy human resources (HR) strategies. This is one of the areas dental ...
If you’re a novice hirer, listen up – here’s how to pick a winner
15/08/2016
Natasha Hawker has a simple message to start-ups on hiring – get it right the first time to save yourself a bundle of ...
What are the 7 things you must do before you hire your first employee?
11/08/2016
You are finally there - you think you are ready to hire your first employee – this is an exciting and scary time. Can ...
Oh my god – how much worse can it get?
06/07/2016
Recently, a client shared with me something that was happening with one of her valued team members that just seemed so ...
I am worried for you and you should be worried too!
05/07/2016
You may have recently heard about the 7-Eleven debacle where a store owner was fined more than $400k (the largest penalty...
What is it like to participate in a conciliation meeting under the Fair Work Act?
26/06/2016
We recently had a new client approach us after an employee had alleged that there had been a breach of a general work ...
How Firing and Hiring Builds a Better Business
24/06/2016
In this HerBusiness podcast interview with the Australian Businesswomen’s Network, Natasha Hawker discusses how businesses ...
The Secret Sauce To Creating A Culture
16/06/2016
Why do some people want to desperately work for some businesses and avoid others like the plague? Mostly it can be put down ...
I made one of my team members cry today which made me very happy!
02/06/2016
They say, and I believe, that “giving is better than receiving”.
I made one of my team members cry today which made me ...
Four Ways to Turn Difficult Conversations Into Performance Boosters For Your Team
26/05/2016
An employee who often comes in late, if at all, is frequently burdened with personal “stuff” or is just not pulling their...
I’m not planning on dying next week but …
04/04/2016
Writing this article feels strange - but necessary, because this week I executed my will and guess what? It actually feels ...
What keeps small business owners up at night?
02/03/2016
For most small business owners, there is stress from the moment they wake until they close their eyes at night,...
Of course however, I could be wrong
25/02/2016
How does collective mindfulness apply to workers compensation? How do our expectations get us into trouble? Oh, and what is ...
Why I started my Friday by firing an employee for a client
17/02/2016
At the end of last week, a client rang me – she was fed up, she had had enough and needed our help. One of her ...
Reducing Sexual Harassment Risks in Hospitality
14/02/2016
Last month, Australian mainstream and social media lit up with reactions to suggestive comments made to a TV journalist by a ...
Why Diversity brings enormous value to businesses
18/01/2016
Last week, I met Carol at the Coles checkout. I asked her (while she was serving another customer) whether they sold cool ...
Teenage Workers: Does Your Business Pass the ‘Sniff Test’ ?
04/09/2015
The other day my burgeoning grey hairs sent me on a much overdue trip to the hairdresser for some TLC. As usual, I engaged ...
How to Fire Someone
31/07/2015
It's the worst job a boss has to do, but if you can't do it, you probably shouldn't be running the show. For full article ...
All Aboard
08/07/2015
So you now have your first employee or employees - congratulations! But now what? - A point to note - within the first 12 ...
Five Ways to Ensure that Your Clients Stay with You for the Long Haul
23/06/2015
This week I had to say goodbye to a client that had been with me since the beginning and it was hard, very hard -- she had ...
Managing employees: From hire to fire
19/06/2015
If you’re a small business owner you’re probably going to end up with employees sooner or later. But managing employees ...
Any Idea What Your Employee Costs Are?
10/06/2015
Virtually every business I have met to date are extremely cost conscious, and rightly so. Yet many are unaware of one of ...
Work Out Your Employee Costs With These Formulas
09/06/2015
Why don’t small businesses measure their employee costs? Largely, it is because they don’t understand the formulae to ...
It’s all about the Power of the Network + LinkedIn
04/06/2015
The old cliché ‘it’s not what you know but who you know’ rang true for me this past week. A candidate that had ...
Want to Know The Secret Ingredient To Business Success? Your Employees
01/06/2015
Your business is only ever going to be as good as your employees. Whether you like it or not, you are in a war for talent, ...
Has someone got Dementia in your workplace?
26/05/2015
With my father-in-law, it started slowly but there were signs. He would get to the top of the stairs and forget why he was ...
Protect Yourself – At All Costs
11/05/2015
Let's face it, no one wants to end up in front of the Fair Work Commissioner facing lengthy and expensive legal wrangles so I...
How do you get the right people on your business bus?
02/04/2015
I was asked recently by a small business owner, “How do you get the right people on the bus?” A Mission critical ...
Harnessing Grey Power
25/03/2015
Did you know that to be considered as an ‘older worker’ in Australia you only have to be older than 50? Now that’s ...
Ouch! I was guilty of being sexist
13/03/2015
When I look back on my career, I feel very lucky for the fabulous experiences that I have had, especially twelve years at a ...
Employment rates are at the highest levels? – Not in my patch they’re not!
13/03/2015
Recently, we have been struggling to attract candidates for job opportunities that would ordinarily be grabbed with both ...
Got employees? Three ways to stay out of trouble
06/03/2015
If you knew what I am about to share with you, before you started your business, you would probably never have started one in...
Time to Hire? Take 5 Easy Steps to Find Out
23/02/2015
Most start-ups start on the ‘smell of an oily rag’. Businesses are built on blood, sweat tears and hours and hours of ...
Does annual leave accrue when an employee is on workers’ compensation?
27/01/2015
By our guest blogger, Danny King - Principal of Danny King Legal
Each employment relationship is different, and may be ...
Employers and Emergency Events – A Guide for Employers affected by emergency measures
18/01/2015
Recent events in Sydney have been devastating for us all. Alongside the tragedy, fear, and remarkable resilience of the human...
What are the five reasons you don’t need a HR Manager in your business?
04/10/2014
Optimise Business Success: Mastering Effective Employee Management Starting and successfully running a business is ...
What drugs are your employees taking in the workplace?
25/07/2014
A survey released today makes for alarming reading, especially if you happen to be a blue collar small business owner with ...
Nothing to ad-Myer here!
30/06/2014
Recently, everyone has been talking about Andrew Flanagan and his appointment at Myer as a senior executive. That wasn’t ...
Guess what I just discovered? I have a job for life!
09/05/2014
We recently sent out a survey to a number of small businesses to ascertain how compliant they are around current employment ...
What to Do if an Employee is Suspected of Stealing from You
17/04/2014
No business owner or manager wants to hear the news or suspect that an employee is stealing from them. There is rightful a ...
When can you fire someone?
07/04/2014
Being sacked just two months into a payroll position absolutely floored a Brisbane woman. It was just like any other Monday...
Are Aussie Leaders Uninspiring?
31/03/2014
As HR practitioners know, effective and inspirational leadership is fundamental to achieving positive HR outcomes – so ...
FWA rule – you can’t fire someone who publicly called the MD a ‘wa….!’
27/02/2014
Recently, FWA ruled that Home Choice had unfairly dismissed an employee who had emailed the entire company calling his MD a ...
Exit Stage Right
13/02/2014
You may or may not have ever thought about the end - the time when for a number of reasons you would like to sell your ...
Do exit interviews work?
05/02/2014
They are standard procedure when someone leaves a business. But do they achieve anything? When one of your best employees ...
Ho, Ho, Ho! Navigating the Silly Season – Office Christmas Parties
11/12/2013
These simple steps in the article will help you ‘navigate’ the silly season and help to have all of your employees ...
The Secret Sauce
25/11/2013
Why do some people want to desperately work for some businesses and avoid others like the plague? Mostly it can be put ...
Biased? not me
14/11/2013
I was visiting McDonalds yesterday on the behalf a client and, as I was leaving with my host, the lift opened and a women...
HR data….Yawn!! – but wait – you do need to know this
28/10/2013
HR has long had a 'touchy feely' reputation but this is fast changing and in my view will continue to do so. At the big ...
Mergers and Acquisitions – Potential Pitfalls for Australian Businesses
21/10/2013
Can you smell the whiff of confidence in the air now we are in teh new year Now the economy things seem to be looking up are ...
Why Exit?
01/09/2013
Why would you ever want to do an exit interview? Just recently, a client of ours had a senior member of the team resign ...
Want to save about $5,000 on your recruitment spend?
01/09/2013
Now - let me start by saying that we are not a Recruitment Agency - far from it! We recruit for our clients for about a half ...
Has Your Workplace Got What It Takes?
24/08/2013
Why do you need to care about culture or about providing a great place to work? Maybe it might help to answer these ...
Hiring IT Specialists and Measuring Their Success
12/08/2013
As a business owner, you’re likely to have found yourself in the position of hiring staff without a clear idea of what ...
Hit me with your best shot
22/07/2013
Are you giving your business the best shot? Maybe, but maybe not - I had a client the other day 'interview' a candidate and ...
Are you sick of sick employees?
03/07/2013
As an SME, when you get the dreaded call that one of your team is sick - what do you do? Did they actually call or was it ...
If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands
04/06/2013
We are supposedly the happiest industrialised nation in the world but how are your employees fairing? Australia has been ...
More Changes To Superannuation; Are You ready?
27/05/2013
A couple of years back, the Federal Government announced that it was making changes to Guaranteed Superannuation ...
The Five Most Common HR Myths
20/05/2013
Employment Relations can be a complex area and, let's face it - it can be hard to keep up with all the legislation changes on...
Let your fingers do the walking
06/05/2013
When I'm sitting in the bus, I am always amazed at the numbers of people plugged in to iPhones, iPads and laptops - me too ...
10 Things You Need to Know About FWA National Employment Standards (NES)
29/04/2013
So what is personal leave? Sounds like secret women's business to me. What is flexible working? Does that mean flexi-time?...
Kapow!!
20/04/2013
I had a call recently for advice where a senior member of a team had punched another senior member. Has this ever happened at...
One very happy client – want to know why?
20/03/2013
I thought it is about time I let you into a secret - we can save you over 66% of your current recruitment agency costs or, if...
Awards – ‘I just have to pay more than the minimum wage – right?’ – Wrong!
19/03/2013
You are growing and you have decided to bring on your first permanent employee – you feel great but, be honest, a bit ...
How can SME’s meet their WHS due diligence obligations?
17/03/2013
In Greg's last last blog he touched on the WHS structures and processes now rolled out routinely in large organisations (200+...
Are your Work Health and Safety needs unique? No Way!
14/03/2013
I though that you might like a change from me, so I have asked a WH&S expert from our team to write this blog. In 2021...
Behind every great woman there is a great man
07/03/2013
Whilst we are celebrating International Women's Day today I wanted to remember that good business partnerships are often ...
Where did you go?
11/02/2013
It hurts doesn’t it? When someone in your team decides to leave you after you have invested significant time and money in ...
Coach your Team for Success – Maximum Performance!
03/02/2013
It’s the biggest secret all managers want to know - the Holy Grail if you will. How do I get more out of my employees? An ...
What are we going to do with Ed?
28/01/2013
Every business has one ‘problem’ or non-performing employee and if you don’t, I would suspect that you are probably not...
My Driver
15/01/2013
I wanted to write this morning about my driver; my bus driver to be precise, who does one of the most stressful and ...
‘Tis the season to be working?
09/01/2013
Hang on I think I have that wrong - isn't it meant to be the season to be jolly or to rest? One of the challenges of working ...
What a year it was!
18/12/2012
So as 2012 draws to a close and Employee Matters celebrates its first year in business I thought that this is a great time to...
10 Things You Need to Know About Redundancies
20/08/2012
Everywhere you look at the moment there is doom and gloom and there are some organisations doing it really tough - hoping ...