February 6, 2017
A free workshop being held in Kingaroy on March 15 will help the South Burnett’s agricultural businesses achieve Fair Work compliance and manage employment risks better.
A recent increase in funding and activity by the Fair Work Ombudsman means that employers are more likely than ever to be inspected or audited.
To help agricultural businesses establish positive practices in the workplace and better understand their legal obligations under the Fair Work Act, a series of free half-day workshops are being held in Queensland’s major agricultural regions with agriculture industrial relations specialist Donna Mogg.
The workshops are funded by the Queensland Government, sponsored by AustSafe Super, and supported by the Queensland Agriculture Workforce Network.
The workshops include a practical risk assessment activity, industrial relations updates, advice and resources to help farmers better manage employment challenges and obligations, as well as information about employment options such as the Seasonal Worker Program, employment and wage incentives and the assistance that QAWN officers can provide.
Feedback from participants to date is that they now have a much clearer understanding of where the gaps are in their human resources policies and practices, with 97 per cent of survey respondents saying that they will be implementing workplace management improvements as a result of what they had learned.
Queensland Farmers’ Federation President Stuart Armitage encouraged agribusiness employers and human resources personnel from all agriculture sectors to attend.
“By attending these workshops, employers will have a much clearer understanding of where the gaps are in their policies and practices. Importantly, they will also be provided with useful links to industry relevant best practice resources to help address those gaps and establish positive practices in the workplace.”
The workshop helps participants:
- get a better understanding of legal obligations under the Fair Work Act, National Employment Standards and relevant Award/s
- undertake a risk assessment activity to “stress test” their compliance with Fair Work requirements and identify where risks lie
- discuss and work through how to manage tricky issues such as poor performance/conduct, disputes, or termination of employment
- learn how to deal with labour hire contractors and avoid claims against their business
Growcom CEO Pat Hannan said that it was vital that employers fully understand their obligations under the Fair Work laws so that they can do the right thing.
“There are a lot of regulations and responsibilities and there is sometimes confusion about what is needed to be compliant with workplace laws. The vast majority of farmers want to ensure they are compliant. These seminars are all about reducing industry vulnerability by keeping farmers up to date and helping them to do the right thing,” Mr Hannan said.
The workshops are open to agribusinesses in all agriculture sectors and include a practical risk assessment activity, resources and a light lunch.
The local QAWN Officer, Stephanie Denman, is based in Kingaroy and welcomes any enquiries about agriculture employment related matters, both from employers and those wanting to work in the industry. She can be contacted on 0431-862-372 or (07) 4182-1825.
- A seminar will be held in Kingaroy on Wednesday, March 15, and registrations can be made online at Growcom’s website.
