By Alexandra Marriott
Surprisingly enough (!), AFL football has grabbed headlines today, with reports that ex-St Kilda star Andrew Lovett is pursuing a claim that the club subjected him to workplace bullying.
AFL Clubs are just another workplace
February 18, 2010
1 Comment | 
Workplace | Tagged: AFL, Alexandra Marriott, bullying, OHS, Workplace | 
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Posted by The Editor
Quick Quotes: power bills to hit hip pockets?
February 18, 2010By The Editor
Bills – the bane of our lives, letter boxes – are rarely welcome. However, according to the Herald Sun, households may expect a hefty increase in their power bill. VECCI’s Bridget Ryan looks at this price rise from a business perspective.
Leave a Comment » | Infrastructure, Quick Quotes, Your Say | Tagged: Bridget Ryan, Infrastructure, Quick Quotes, The Editor, Victoria, Your Say | Permalink
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Poll Update: unfair dismissals are a growing headache for employers
February 17, 2010By Alexandra Marriott
The problem of unfair dismissals is a growing one and has already proven a headache for some employers.
At the time of their introduction, the Federal Government claimed that the new unfair dismissal laws were designed in a way to minimise impacts on smaller to medium sized businesses.
However, VECCI’s initial research into this issue indicates that many employers are contemplating engaging workers via labour hire – or not hiring employees at all – to avoid the cost of unfair dismissal claims.
In many instances, this is resulting in the payment of ‘go away’ money and, in an even more troubling trend, are often proving to be vexatious.
1 Comment | Workplace, Your Say | Tagged: Alexandra Marriott, Fair Work Act, Fair Work Australia, unfair dismissal, Workplace, Your Say | Permalink
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Will free water quench the thirst for drunken violence?
February 17, 2010By Megan Cox
A new plan to tackle alcohol-fuelled violence has proposed that all licensed venues be forced to provide free water.
According to the Herald Sun, the laws will be introduced to make nightclubs, pubs and bars step up responsible service of alcohol – largely to crackdown on venues that charge inflated prices for bottled water.
1 Comment | Community, Tourism | Tagged: CDB violence, Megan Cox, Melbourne, Melbourne CBD violence, Tourism, Victoria | Permalink
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The Election Debate: further reforms to workplace relations?
February 16, 2010By Alexandra Marriott
According to reportage across a variety of media outlets today, the Opposition’s forthcoming federal election campaign will focus specifically on industrial relations reforms.
Tony Abbott has signalled that there will be three key focal points of this campaign:
- Penalty rates in modern awards;
- Unfair dismissal laws; and
- The power of unions.
Leave a Comment » | Workplace | Tagged: Alexandra Marriott, Fair Work Act, Fair Work Australia, industrial relations, unfair dismissal, WorkChoices, Workplace | Permalink
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Quick Quotes: Businesses beat wealthy suburbs in water savings?
February 16, 2010By The Editor
It’s no secret that reducing water usage (and wastage) has almost become part of Victorian life. But the Herald Sun reports that residents of wealthier suburbs aren’t as keen to dive into water saving efforts. VECCI’s Bridget Ryan provides a snapshot from the business front.
Leave a Comment » | Environment, Quick Quotes | Tagged: Bridget Ryan, Environment, The Editor, Victoria | Permalink
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Quick Quotes: Back to business for India
February 15, 2010By The Editor
In the wake of the recent attacks on Indian national students, concerns were raised about the safety and well-being of international students.
While Victoria’s police force have increased measures to curb violent behaviour on our streets in the past few months – many still feared the impact of the attacks on Melbourne’s reputation and international business relations.
But today brings some reassuring news on the business front:
Leave a Comment » | Economy, Quick Quotes, Workplace | Tagged: Chris James, Indian students, IT, Melbourne, The Editor, Victoria | Permalink
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Strong employment figures highlight risky recovery for Victoria
February 12, 2010By Darin Ritchie
The surprise fall in Australia’s unemployment rate to 5.3% is a positive indicator of the strong recovery underway in Australia’s labour market. Victoria is performing at the national average, with the trend unemployment rate having decreased to 5.2%, with the seasonally adjusted rate steady for the third month in a row at 5.3%.
1 Comment | Economy | Tagged: Darin Ritchie, Economy, employment, Melbourne, Victoria | Permalink
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Ask Erin: “What are my OH&S obligations in the workplace?”
February 12, 2010By Erin the Employer
The Scenario: A recent tragic case of extreme bullying that led to heavy fines being imposed on three employees, a company director and a corporation is a stark reminder to all employers that they are legally accountable for the conduct of their employees.
5 Comments | Ask Erin, Erin the Employer, Workplace | Tagged: bullying, Erin the Employer, Melbourne, OHS, Workplace | Permalink
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Quick Quotes: Sydney – “The Place To Be”?
February 11, 2010By The Editor
It seems the old Melbourne-Sydney rivalries are now being fought on another front: international student intake. In the midst of the recent attacks on Indian national students in Melbourne, Sydney has sought to differentiate their state in an effort to boost NSW as the preferred place of study for international students. VECCI’s Chris James weighs in on this latest hit to Melbourne’s international reputation.
1 Comment | Education, Quick Quotes, Tourism | Tagged: Chris James, Indian students, Melbourne, Melbourne CBD violence, Sydney, The Editor | Permalink
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