Employers Get Help In Navigating Ir Laws

Illawarra Mercury

Saturday July 12, 2008

By GREG ELLIS

WOLLONGONG-BASED Office of Industrial Relations workplace relations adviser Toni Minovski is starting a new series of workshops in the region for business owners and managers who are confused or uncertain about certain aspects of industrial relations laws.

The short courses and workshops are designed to help employers understand how the industrial relations legislation affects their business and their legal rights and obligations.

The series starts in Wollongong on July 23 with four free workshops for employers working in kindergarten, child-care centres, hairdressing, beauty salons and clerical areas.

Mr Minovski said the free workshops would be tailored to give managers a better idea about the specific awards they are working with, the legislation they are covered by and what they need to be aware of when they are talking about issues such as overtime payments and when they are allowed to ask people to work. They will also be shown how to calculate certain entitlements.

During Small Business Month in September, Mr Minovski plans to present workshops on NSW industrial relations.

"It is an overview of the industrial relations system at the time," he said.

"We try and keep the participants up to date with what is happening."

Later in the year the workshops will focus on best practices in human resources such as managing employees, recruitment and retention.

Mr Minovski will then run sessions on workplace arrangements, a free course on understanding awards and agreements.

"It is going to be very useful for employers if they are thinking, 'Hey, I want to get out of the award structure, I want to enter into collective agreements'. It is a how-do-I-do-it workshop."

Mr Minovski said industrial relations was confusing, but hoped the workshops would make it easier for people to understand.

He said the sessions were important because there were so many urban myths when it came to workplace legislation, such as giving three warnings before dismissing someone.

"Yes it is a good employment practice to give warnings, but there is no legal obligation to do it," he said.

Maree Szalla attended several sessions when she opened BJs on the Mall and said the workshops were very helpful.

Mr Minovski said the free session usually came after an IR in NSW workshop and followed paid workshops.

But he has such a good response that he thought it was only right to give something back to the business community with more free workshops.

He said it was important because managers running small businesses were often confused about whether they were covered by the state or federal system.

"They are not sure about what penalties they have to give, they are not sure about what records they have to keep. I am very pedantic when I go through that. I tell them what to expect if an inspector walks into their workplace."

Further information at www.industrialrelations.nsw.gov.au.

Workshop program

Wollongong Golf Club.

July 23 - Employing staff in kindergartens and childcare centres.

August 6 - Employing staff in hairdressing and beauty salons.

August 13 - Employing clerical staff.

September 3 - Industrial relations in NSW.

September 10 - Managing employees.

October 29 - Recruitment and retention.

November 5 - Workplace arrangements.

November 27 - Workplace policies.

Briars Country Lodge, Resort and Historic Inn, Bowral.

July 29 - Workplace policies.

November 19 - Managing employees.

Shoalhaven Ex-Services Club, Nowra.

August 5 - Industrial relations in NSW.

August 28 - Employing staff in hairdressing and beauty salons.

September 18 - Managing employees.

October 16 - Recruitment and retention.

October 30 - Workplace negotiations.

Batemans Bay Soldiers' Club.

August 18 - Employing clerical staff.

August 19 - Recruitment and retention.

October 20 - Industrial relations in NSW.

October 21 - Workplace policies.

© 2008 Illawarra Mercury

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