Hi Caroline test,

The end of the 2024/2025 year is upon us.  Our team is busier than ever with clients and planning our first in-person team catch-up since too long ago, taking place in Sydney in August.  This month we have pulled together a handy checklist which lays out the changes in HR legislation and beyond that will kick in on 1 July, plus Part 2 of HR myths busted and much more. So here is what's new in June : 

• Five Tips for Choosing an Outsourced HR Model; 
• EOFY price increases for Employee Matters services and a get-in-quick deal for our clients;
• She's done it again - an interview with Natasha Hawker, a legend in HR and on the squash court and freshly crowned NSW State Champion once again, find out how she does it 🎾;
• Team Member Spotlight -Maaike Coates, Recruitment Lead;
  
• Free Checklist Download- The Employee Matters Guide to Preparing for FY25/26 Download it Here 

As always, please get in touch for a Free Discovery Session if you'd like to talk about your HR and Recruitment needs.

The Employee Matters Team

Considering outsourcing your HR? Employee Matters shares five key tips to help you choose the right model for your business. From proactive service and dedicated consultants to strategic HR planning and experienced experts, discover how outsourcing can provide comprehensive HR support at a fraction of the cost of hiring an in-house manager. Plus, learn why a larger consultancy might offer the depth and resources your growing business needs. Read more to make an informed decision and ensure your HR aligns with your business goals.🚀

As FY25 ends, we've reviewed our services and pricing. Like many Australian businesses, Employee Matters has faced rising costs, with our supplier and operational expenses increasing by an average of 11% this year. To continue providing you with exceptional HR and Recruitment services and innovative solutions, we're implementing a modest 5% price increase for FY26, absorbing the remaining cost ourselves. To help our current clients absorb these changes, we are offering for any HR, Recruitment and Training service purchased and paid for before 1 July 2025 to be charged at our FY25 rates, even if they’re to be delivered in the new financial year.  To take advantage of this offer, please speak with your Employee Matters Expert as soon as possible, or book a Discovery Session to speak with us about your HR, Recruitment and Training needs.

HR Mythbusting - the sequel.  There are some persistent myths out there that managers just can't help believing - so we are going to do some mythbusting so you don't have to:

6. The ‘you only need to provide policies at induction’ myth - If you have a policy and  an employee has breached it, disciplinary action will only be reasonable if you can show the employee was aware of and understood the policy.  You will need to show that the policy is available to be read, any changes in the policy are communicated and you have a declaration from the employee that they have both read and understood the policy. Regular training on important policies is also a great idea.
7. The ‘I can make deductions from an employee’s pay’ myth- Under the FWA, pay deductions usually require the employee's written consent (for their benefit) or legal authorisation and a clause in the employment contract is a good idea. However for  specific instances of overpayment for example, written consent which details the amount, repayment schedule and permission to deduct is a great idea. For sponsored study such as course costs, a separate policy is recommended.
8. The ‘You can simply call a disciplinary meeting directly with your employee’ myth - While legislation doesn’t specify the exact requirements for these meetings, there is a requirement that the meetings are fair and reasonable and there is lots of case law setting out what this looks like.  Giving proper notice of a meeting so an employee can prepare, the right of the employee to have someone to support them (not represent them) in a meeting and the right to respond to any allegations put to them are important elements of what may be seen as fair and reasonable.
9. The 'if an employee wins an unfair dismissal claim, I can simply pay them some compensation  and that’s the end of  it' myth - Actually, the worst outcome for an employer may be that they are ordered to reinstate the employee.  While reinstatement isn't the usual outcome. (it only happens in about 6% of successful unfair dismissal claims) it can still happen. Also, while there are caps on unfair dismissal compensation, a general  protections claim (e.g. the dismissal was discriminatory) has no cap on the compensation that can be ordered.
10. The 'if a worker has an ABN, they can be classified as an independent contractor' myth - Having an ABN doesn't automatically make someone an independent contractor. Without a detailed written agreement which accurately defines the relationship, a worker could argue they are an employee. The courts will look at all the factors of the relationship both written and in practice, to determine employment status.

Game, Set, Match and Memories! An interview with Natasha Hawker, Squash Legend and Freshly Minted National Champion  

Congratulations on your fantastic win! We know you've been around the squash court more than a few times. What's one piece of advice you'd give your younger squash-playing self?

Keep going, one of my squash mentors is in her late seventies and she is still going and playing well and she said the secret is that you don't stop. On the other hand my knees sometimes have the opposite view!

Did you celebrate your big win with anything more exciting than a warm-down and a cup of tea? Perhaps a sneaky chocolate bar?

A glass of sparkling red bubbles and a yummy apple muffin straight afterwards.

If your squash racket could talk, what do you think it would complain about the most after a particularly intense match?

Hit the ball deep into the corners and probably stop taking all that stress out on me. I hit the ball very hard.

What's your secret to staying so agile on the court? Is it all the early bird specials, or do you have a special pre-game dance routine?

I mix up cardio with weight training with my squash weekly. When I am about to get on the court, I try and get on a bike to warm up for 2 mins and then warm the muscles up. I also do circular breathing to oxygenate my muscles.

Beyond the trophy, what's the best part about being a squash champion in your age category? Is it the bragging rights at family gatherings?

Yes that helps. My daughter is competing in the Hyrox which is so much harder. My brother has recently got back into squash and he was a great junior player. Now, sadly, he beats me but I have age and a couple of titles on him - challenge down Mark!

If you could invent a new rule for squash, just for players in your age group, what would it be? (Perhaps a mandatory tea break mid-match?)

Longer break times in between games - a couple of minutes goes really quickly when you are trying to catch your breath.

Do you have any pre-match superstitions, like always wearing your lucky socks, or eating a specific type of biscuit?

I do wear a gold chain with a racquet on it for luck.

After such a high-energy performance, what's your go-to recovery routine? A long nap, a nice soak, or perhaps just planning your next championship?

I try and have a radox bath and a massage the next day and, to be honest, I pop a couple of anti-inflammatories while my knees forgive me.

What's next for our resident champion?

Australian Teams Championship in Perth in September. I am so grateful to the guys that I play with at Energize Gym who are great supporters and my two squash buddies and mentors Gail and Jan. One thing that I really focused on this time, because my preparation was not great, was to pause and take a deep breath before I served and that really helped.

If you have friends or colleagues who could benefit from our services, we would love to be in touch with them to explain how we’ve seen great results with our clients and would love to do the same with them. Refer a friend today for an obligation-free chat with us about their HR and Recruitment challenges; we reward every Discovery Session with a gesture of our appreciation.  

Maaike Coates,

Recruitment Lead 

Maaike has been with Employee Matters for 5 years and helped to develop and implement our innovative method of recruiting; The Recruitment Partner Service.  Our clients are huge fans of this new recruitment service and we would love to share the How and the Why it has been so successful. Ask Maaike for a brochure today to learn more. 

Australia has the highest percentage of hybrid workers compared with US, Canada and UK, and by late 2022 34% of Australian workers were already working hybrid (in office and remote). 

This number is likely to increase and has implications for how businesses structure, manage and engage their workers and their work (not to mention the health and safety of remote working ie working in cars, from home and cafes.