Search Results

DBrief, the new monthly business podcast from the Australian Industry Group, is for business people with a keen interest in understanding the connection between their individual business operation and the broader issues of Industry Development, Industry Policy, and new government regulations.

On 3 December, a Full Bench of the Fair Work Commission (FWC) handed down an important decision in the CFMMEU v Mt Arthur case.

In the modern business environment, talent acquisition has become a critical function of Human Resources and the people strategy. Unlike recruitment, which is often reactive and focuses on filling vacancies, talent acquisition is a strategic approach that emphasises the long-term needs of the organisation. Technology plays a pivotal role in this process, enabling HR professionals to identify, attract, and retain top talent.

Traditionally, HR departments have focused on recruitment - the process of filling immediate vacancies. However, as businesses evolve and the competition for top talent intensifies, there has been a shift towards talent acquisition. This approach is proactive and strategic, focusing on building relationships with potential candidates, understanding the talent landscape, and aligning talent strategy with business goals.

Find out more in our The role of technology in talent acquisition article.

The Federal Government’s Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Protecting Worker Entitlements) Act 2023 (PWE Act) passed both houses of Parliament on 22 June 2023. The PWE Act will result in legislative amendments, including to the Fair Work Act 2009 (FW Act), relating to the following employee entitlements: • Unpaid parental leave • Superannuation • Authorised deductions • The black coal mining industry’s portable long service leave scheme • Workplace determinations made by the Fair Work Commission • Migrant workers.

This Member Advice provides important information about safety and workers’ compensation issues

In this episode, James chats with China expert Susan Heffernan about her decades of first-hand experience in the market, as a business owner and as a senior manager. It’s a fascinating chat with an insightful and fascinating business founder and manager.

Digitalisation is a core subject of this podcast and todsy we deep dive into digital disruption in supplier engagement and business matching. James and guest Tim Walmsley investigate the challenge of building a success digitalised business from start up. It’s a great discussion and Tim provides a lots of good insights .

What’s the difference between the Circular Economy and Circular Supply Chains? In this episode, supply chain specialist Brendan O’Keefe addresses the difference between the two and provides a raft of insights in the way forward.

This Member Advice provides important information about: • Safe Work Australia (SWA) work on airborne contaminants. Ai Group needs to engage with Members who use or produce these substances to ensure impacts are well understood before decisions are made: - Impact assessment in relation to proposed changes to the workplace exposure standards for respirable crystalline silica, benzene, chlorine, copper, formaldehyde, hydrogen sulphide, nitrogen dioxide, titanium dioxide and hydrogen cyanide. - Regulation of 33 chemicals that are described as non-threshold genotoxic chemicals (NTGCs). A full list of these chemicals is included in the Advice. • Legislative Changes: - New South Wales – Industrial Manslaughter Bill passed. - Queensland – Resources Safety and Health Amendment Bill 2024 makes changes to multiple pieces of legislation relevant to the resources sector. • New WHS and Workers’ Compensation provisions commenced on 1 July 2024: - Industrial Manslaughter offences in the Commonwealth and South Australia. - Ban on engineered stone benchtops, slabs and panels. - New Incident Notification requirements in Victoria. - New licensing option for non-slewing telehandlers in Victoria. - New on-the-spot fines and increased penalties in New South Wales. - Workers’ compensation changes in Western Australia. • Bills before Parliament: - Tasmania – Work Health and Safety Amendment (Safer Workplaces) Bill 2024 • Inquiries and public comment - Review of the Commonwealth Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 • Publications of interest: - European Agency for Safety and Health at Work: Automation of cognitive and physical tasks in the health and social care sector: implications for safety and health. • Opportunities to engage in policy discussions that are not public comment processes.

This Member Advice provides important information about: • Legislative Changes: o Queensland – Effective dates announced for WHS amendments. o Western Australia – Workers’ compensation changes commence 1 July 2024 o Update on national ban on engineered stone benchtops, slabs and panels. o New Workplace Exposure Limits for airborne contaminants published. • Bills before Parliament: o Queensland - Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation and Other Legislation. Amendment Bill 2024. Update on Committee inquiry. • WHS Ministers Meeting 10 May 2024. • Inquiries and Public Comment: o Northern Territory electrical safety laws, public comment closes 2 June 2024. o Report of the Victorian Inquiry into the impact of road safety behaviours on vulnerable road users. • Publications of interest: o Safe Work Australia – Comparison of workers’ compensation arrangements in Australia and New Zealand; Early intervention in the workers’ compensation process. o International Labour Organisation - Ensuring safety and health at work in a changing climate. • Opportunities to engage in policy discussions that are not public comment processes.

The AUKUS Defense Ministers Meeting at the Defence Innovation Unit Headquarters in California witnessed key announcements and endorsements, shaping the AUKUS enhanced defence and security partnership. The AUKUS Defense Ministers Meeting Joint Statement, released on December 2, 2023, confirms the commitment of the three nations to maximise the strategic and technological advantages of AUKUS. The Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister agreed that advancing AUKUS requires a continued focus on streamlining defence trade controls and information-sharing, while minimising policy and financial barriers across public and private sectors. They directed their organisations to take additional steps to promote efficient collaboration in defence and industry among the three nations. These activities aim to enhance the capabilities, collective security, and deterrence of the AUKUS partners in the face of an evolving strategic and security environment. The statement also reaffirms commitments to key areas: • Pillar I: Conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines • Pillar II: Advanced capabilities