People Dynamics Newsletter - People Matters
Issue 51, May 2009 | Back to Newsletters Index
PD News
All is well at PD. We are in the process of building our team and recruiting a new HR Assistant to help with our busy workload. They will be starting with us over the next few weeks so be on the look out for our new person!
In this issue we look at understanding ‘cost management’ and explore
how companies are managing this in terms of their HR as well as the expected
announcement on paid maternity leave.
Managing Costs —it is costing us more than dollars?
Many businesses are feeling the affects of the GFC (global financial crisis) but how are they dealing with the issue of cost management? Which areas, particularly in HR, can and should be cut down and which ones should be continued to be funded, as much as possible?
As we explored in our March newsletter, redundancy should be the last option. Some ideas and suggestions other companies have been adopting include:
Sick leave pool (employees donate their sick leave entitlements to a general ‘pool’ so that others may use it if they need to)
Reduce extent of employee benefits and/or use an alternative
Bring training in house and use peers and other networks to deliver training sessions. This can build positive role modelling and relationships.
Communication with employees remains important and as high as ever. Just
because time moves on and things don’t appear to have changed doesn’t
mean communication should stop.
Paid Maternity Leave?
The budget, being announced tonight, is expected to reveal the governments stance on maternity leave. As many as 80% of people believe that paid maternity leave is a good use of tax payers money. That, along with the fact that we have a much lower percentage of return to work mothers than other OECD countries (49.6 % vs 59.2%), this will be an important announcement.
The Age on the weekend reported it is expected that there will be 18
weeks of paid maternity leave, subsidised by the government. (Maternity
Leave Scheme in as soon as July 1, The Age 10 May, pg 1). It is expected
the scheme will take affect as of 2011 and replace the baby bonus.
Legal Update
A reminder to check your current workplace employment documentation, particularly if you are covered by an Award or EBA arrangement before July 1. Special exemptions may apply.