Hello!
Welcome to your favourite workplace newsletter – a combination of things you need to know and things that will make you laugh out loud.
In this issue there’s a workplace trend, a couple of case reviews, 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
What trend am I seeing out there in the workplace world?
Workplace Squeaky Wheel Syndrome…
Too many employers tolerate the bad behaviour of the squeakiest wheel due to fear of what will happen if action is taken.
Whilst understandable, this never ends well. Great employees don’t want to work with toxic ones. When the squeaky wheel gets the oil, the star performer speaks with their feet.
Take Out Point: Leaders don’t need to be ruthless – but they do need to be brave. Tolerating bad behaviour sends a loud message: “We reward noise, not contribution”.
Need help tackling the squeaky wheel before your stars roll out the door? Our workshops and coaching sessions are designed to give leaders the tools (and the courage) to have the conversations that matter.
Contact Jennifer Bicknell on 0411 275 920 or at jen@jenniferbicknell.com.au or Deborah Stonley at deborah@jenniferbicknell.com.
BRIEFLY…
Job of the Week:Prime Minister of Australia.
Observation of the Week: When 
Isn’t So Happy
Emoji use can have unintended consequences – especially across generations. One person’s levity is another person’s passive-aggression.
Take this exchange:
Gen Z employee: “All done with the report 
”
Boomer manager: “Is there a reason for the tone?”
Gen Z (ponders internally): “…what tone?”
Welcome to the wild world of Emoji Misinterpretation!
Your Handy Cross-Generational Emoji Translation Guide
Take Out Point: Emojis aren’t a universal language. When in doubt, use words.
Leave Your (Sick) Leave Off Instagram
A Melbourne-based lawyer flew to Adelaide for a long weekend. His absence from work on the Friday and Monday was explained in a statutory declaration and online medical certificate.
When a HR consultant later spotted Instagram photos of the healthy looking employee enjoying the AFL, beach and pubs, the employee was dismissed.
The employee’s Unfair Dismissal Application was unsuccessful. The Fair Work Commission found that the employee’s “conduct and attitude was utterly incompatible with his ongoing employment as a solicitor at the firm, where integrity and honesty are paramount”.
Take Out Point: Sick leave is a privilege, not a perk.
See: Mitchell Fuller v Madison Branson Lawyers Pty Ltd (U2024/10086)
Resignation Remorse: Can You “Un-resign”?
An employee sent a resignation email in the early hours of the morning. The employer accepted it. Later, the employee tried to withdraw his resignation, claiming he had been suffering from paranoid delusions at the time.
When the employer refused to let him retract it, the employee lodged an Unfair Dismissal claim with the Fair Work Commission.
The FWC wasn’t convinced that the employer knew – or reasonably should have known – about the employee’s mental health issues when it accepted the resignation. In other words, there was no clear reason for the employer to doubt that the resignation was genuine.
The FWC stated that “The mere fact that a person resigns in circumstances of heightened tensions or strong emotions will not turn a rash or imprudent decision made by an employee into a dismissal at the initiative of the employer.”
Take Out Point: Resignations don’t come with a cooling-off period. If an employee wants to take a resignation back, they’ll need to show that the employer reasonably should have questioned whether they truly meant to resign. Otherwise, the resignation is likely to stick.
See: David Gourlay v Sydney International Container Terminals Pty Limited (U2024/12357)
Difficult Conversations Suck – But You Don’t Have to Suck at Them
No one hands you a manual for tough workplace talks – so I wrote one, turned it into a workshop (and added an interpretive dance).
In my “Awkward to Awesome” workshop, you’ll learn:
✅ A simple, step-by-step way to handle tricky conversations without making it weird
✅ Exactly what to say when it matters (and what not to say)
✅ How to give feedback that actually lands (instead of backfiring spectacularly)
✅ How to avoid putting your foot in your mouth (and what to do if you already have)
✅ How to handle performance issues before they become disasters.
I’ll give you:
✔️A practical skillset you’ll use forever
✔️A serious upgrade to your leadership skills
✔️ A major confidence boost for your next tough talk
✔️A few laughs (possibly at my expense)
❌ No cringey role-plays. (We practice, but in a way that makes you better – not more uncomfortable)
REMEMBER… AVOIDANCE ISN’T A STRATEGY!
Contact Jen on 0411 275 920 or at jen@jenniferbicknell.com.au
Dear Jen,
I need urgent help.
My boss doesn’t understand emojis. He thinks my smiley faces and thumbs up are cryptic threats.
He’s scheduled a “review” for next week. Emoji jail is real. Please help me get out of it.
Misunderstood and 
Dear Misunderstood and
Step one: cease all emoji activity immediately.
Step two: take snacks to the review – preferably carbs.
Step three: tell your boss that to avoid any 
you’ll stick to words going forward.
Jen
CATCH UP ON PREVIOUS NEWSLETTERS
Previous newsletters are available at our website. To catch up on earlier legal updates or viewing recommendations, head there now!
What I’m being Drip Fed… sigh (On Stan)
Brilliant comedy “Hacks” is back for season 4. Rotten Tomatoes gives it 100%. Enough said.
What I Watched (On Amazon Prime)
“Last One Laughing UK” is Amazon’s top show in Australia right now. I was sceptical going in, expecting another limp comedy format, but as my neighbours can confirm, I laughed. Out loud. Hosted by Jimmy Carr, the show locks 10 of the UK’s sharpest comedians in a room where the only rule is – don’t laugh. It’s chaos. It’s clever. It’s champagne comedy.
What I’m Watching (On Disney+)
After a long day, I usually want something light, so, a show about a woman with a terminal cancer diagnosis, exploring the full spectrum of her sexuality before dying… not exactly top of my list. But when Rotten Tomatoes gives a 98%, I watch. Michelle Williams shines in “Dying for Sex”.
What I’m Watching (On Apple TV+)
“Your Friends and Neighbours” is the kind of name you give a show when you’ve spent all your budget on Jon Hamm and forgot to hire a copywriter. But hang in there… Hamm plays a divorced, washed-up, hedge fund manager who starts looting his inner circle to fund his family’s New York lifestyle. Won’t win any Emmys, but… Jon Hamm.
What I Watched (On Netflix)
This week my medical training continued in Miami. The emergency and surgical residents in “Pulse” were busy saving lives in the middle of Hurricane Andrew and a sexual harassment scandal between the two lead stars – I mean, doctors. Have the reviews flatlined? Kinda. Did I still binge it like it was IV adrenaline? Absolutely.
