Hello!
We are back with a workplace trend, news snippets and sage advice in the “Dear Jen” column.
And of course, I share my recommendations for your viewing pleasure.
I hope this newsletter brings you some wisdom and joy!
Cheers, Jen
I’m seeing more and more employment relationships fail simply because the expectations of the employer and the employee are not aligned. This usually occurs because the employer wasn’t clear during the recruitment process.
Whilst I am not recommending the approach taken in the Job of the Week below, no-one can suggest that this employer is being vague about his expectations.
Take Out Point: Good recruitment requires clarity – with the employer and employee both understanding their expectations and obligations.
BRIEFLY…
Job of the Week – Nightmare, Funny or Honest?
A role with National Rental Inspections in Melbourne has caused quite a stir. The ad read as follows;
Requirements
- Have a car, that works, 96% of the time
- Be able to pay to put fuel in it
- Have a license to drive it
- Be willing to leave the suburb you live in for work
- Have a sense of humour
- Own an iPad that works
- Be willing to listen, while you are talking you are not listening. I know this but it’s my business, so you must be willing to listen to me and learn, I know everything already
- Be good with people. My clients are very important to me, so it would be nice if you could be nice to them
- Have a minor interest in real estate
- Have the internet that works faster than dial up speed
- be able to alphabet, sentance, punctuate and grammar way better than me, i dont need to, i have staff….
…Most importantly, this is not school hours. it is however suitable for mums, dads, people with no kids (lucky you!) as we can work around your family, but you cannot have 3 months off over Christmas and 2 weeks off every other month for school holidays…
Critics on Reddit said “WTF, is this a joke?” and “sounds like a nightmare to work for”. Others defended the ad, suggesting the employer must “be fed up with idiots” and “It’s funny, the employer obviously has a sense of humour”.
See: Job Advert Slammed
Buzzword of the Week
“Toxic Resilience”: continuing to work at 100%, despite stressful circumstances. (Otherwise referred to by Boomers as “life”).
Uproar as AirAsia CEO Posts Shirtless Massage Photo on LinkedIn
The CEO of AirAsia recently received a shirtless massage while in a management meeting. For reasons that remain unexplained, he posted a photo of this activity on LinkedIn. After causing an uproar and being relentlessly mocked on social media, the post was removed.
Warning: Graphic photograph of shirtless middle-aged man in below link.
See: CEO Uproar Over Shirtless Boardroom Massage Post
The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders – Where Employees with Cognitive Impairments Thrive
In Japan, a pop-up restaurant employs staff with varying degrees of cognitive impairment. The “Restaurant of Mistaken Orders” is a “restaurant of never-ending laughter”. Customers need to go with the flow if they’re served gyoza instead of their hamburger, or if the server shows them to their table and
then sits down to join them. Says the founder, “The restaurant is not about whether orders are executed incorrectly or not…The important thing is the interaction with people who have dementia”.
Take Out Point: What other ways can we implement workplace change with such brilliant outcomes?
See: Restaurant of Mistaken Orders
LEGISLATION YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
NSW to Introduce 20 Year Jail Terms for Industrial Manslaughter
The NSW government will seek to introduce legislation in the first half of next year to significantly boost penalties for those who cause the death of a worker. Currently, NSW employers can face jail time of up to five years for “gross negligence” but unlike other states, NSW does not treat worker deaths as “manslaughter”. In Victoria and Queensland those found guilty of workplace manslaughter face up to 20 years in jail.
See: 20 Years Jail Over Worker Deaths
Is valuable time, money and sleep being lost because your team is avoiding necessary but challenging workplace conversations?
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Or grab the most practical online course in town. Run, don’t walk to my website for my highly informative and entertaining online course – “Difficult Conversations In The Workplace: A Lawyer’s Guide to Not Needing a Lawyer”. Spend an hour with your favourite unlawyerly lawyer for just $149 plus GST, or organise a coaching session.
Dear Jen,
I am a junior employee attending my first Melbourne Cup function at work.
Do you have any tips for me?
Regards,
Nervous Newbie
Dear Nervous Newbie,
The first Tuesday in November
The day that stops the nation
Every workplace takes a spell
To join the celebration
It’s not my place to be a nag
But as a lawyer it behooves
The sharing of a friendly tip
About career limiting moves
Tis’ too late to shut the gate
After the horse has bolted
So pace yourself on Cup Day
Don’t leave others revolted
Don your hat and have a punt
But drink in moderation
Cos if you horse around too much
It may cost you your vocation!
Cheers,
Your Jen
AFTER WORK
What I Inhaled – like a wine expert (on Apple)
“Drops of God” is the best show you have never heard of. The world’s greatest wine collector leaves his estranged French daughter and Japanese protégé to fight it out for his billion dollar inheritance. You will need (but not mind) the subtitles unless you are trilingual.
What I Sped Through – like a skier on a Black Run (on SBS)
“Piste Noir” features the French Alps, an arrogant slalom skier, death, and gendarmes trying to make sense of it all. Beautiful scenery (apart from the death). (You won’t mind the subtitles because you’ll be glued to the Alps rather than Insta).
What I’m Loving – despite it being drip fed weekly (on Apple)
“Lessons in Chemistry” is a miniseries based on the novel about a female chemist in the 1960’s. She can’t get a fair shot in a chemistry lab so she hosts a TV cooking show to educate housewives on scientific topics. It’s way better than it sounds. Trust me. Just watch.
What I Mindlessly Watched (on Disney)
“Coleen Rooney: The Real Wagatha Story” is a 3 part doco about the social media defamation scandal that saw Coleen taken to England’s High Court by a fellow WAG. Not in the same league as “Beckham” but a fabulously, silly escape.
My Latest Favourite Crime Drama (on Britbox)
“Five Daughters” is a factually based 3 part drama about the serial murders of 5 young women in 2006 and the impact on their families and the community. Sad but compelling story telling.
What I’m Excited About (on Amazon Prime)
“Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles” follows the band from their humble beginnings to today’s global multi-million-dollar brand. Want to know which coloured shirt no-one in the band wanted to wear? Watch this doco.
