Hello!
I have been busy compiling 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, news snippets, a case, 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 across the workplace world?
The return from parental leave is becoming one of the trickier workplace conversations.
Eligible employees are entitled to request flexibility. Employers need to balance those requests against the reasonable business needs of the organisation. Neither position is unreasonable.
It’s the conversation in between that’s getting harder.
Buzzword of the Week: Careerfishing
“Careerfishing” is the practice of embellishing or misrepresenting your qualifications or experience across your CV and interviews as a strategy to land the job. According to one screening platform, a startling 93% of surveyed US jobseekers admit to some form of it.
No wonder recruitment is so hard! Perhaps CVs should come with the disclaimer “inspired by true events”.
Unemployment Rate Rises to 4.5% in July
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Australia’s unemployment rate increased to 4.5% in July, with nearly 16,000 fewer people employed. I did not need the ABS to tell me. The redundancy files stacked on my desk had already broken the news.
See: Unemployment rate rises to 4.5% in July
When Work Has Been…Work
Had a difficult conversation, accidentally replied all, or sat through a meeting that should have been an email? You need a reset.
Look no further than Eastern Rosellas. Seven-year-old Miles Phillips’ ARIA chart-topping earworm is my aural stress-relief ball. Such joy.
Eastern Rosellas, Eastern Rosellas, look at the beautiful colours…
See: Eastern Rosellas – YouTube
Job of the Week: Surf Dog Caddy
The job: Spot the right wave, read the swell, launch the board and let your dog take the glory.
The pay: Nil.
Benefits: People congratulate you on having a really talented dog.
The catch: The humiliation of carrying your dog’s surfboard back up the beach.
See: Top dogs ride waves at annual World Dog Surfing Championships
WFH Packs Its Passport
Around 5,500 Bank of England staff can work from overseas for up to 40 working days a year, on top of needing to only spend half their time in the office. According to the UK Telegraph, more than 1,000 employees took up the overseas option in 2025, clocking almost 13,000 days abroad between them.
Apparently the “H” in WFH is open to interpretation.
Take-Out Point: Working from home policies increasingly need to answer a different question: which home, and in which time zone?
See: Bank of England lets 1,000 employees work from abroad
Victoria’s Proposed Work-from-Home Laws Delayed to July 2027
The Victorian Government has delayed its proposed right-to-work-from-home reforms, pushing the earliest commencement date from 1 September 2026 to 1 July 2027. Parliamentary debate on the Bill has also been delayed while the Government undertakes further consultation.
The new Victorian Premier, Ben Carroll, says the Government wants more time to consult with businesses and consider amendments. Employer groups have welcomed the delay while continuing to raise concerns about the proposed laws.
Take-Out Point: Delayed, not abandoned – but subject to a state election.
See: Victoria pushes work-from-home law start back to July 2027
CASE YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
The Gig Is Up
From 17 August, new minimum standards apply to some gig workers delivering food, drinks and groceries through platforms such as Uber Eats and DoorDash.
The Fair Work Commission has made an order that gives these “employee-like” workers minimum standards around matters including pay, insurance and dispute resolution.
And this may only be the beginning. The Commission is also considering minimum standards for workers doing “last mile” deliveries.
Take-Out Point: Flexibility can stay, but the days of assuming gig work sits outside minimum employment standards are disappearing.
See: New minimum standards for on-demand delivery workers
26 August – International Dog Day. A day to celebrate the colleague who is always happy to see you, never replies all, and has never once complained about the open-plan layout. If only the rest of the team were so easy to manage.
1 September – Wattle Day. Australia’s national floral emblem gets its day. Golden, resilient, and thriving in tough conditions. Come to think of it, that is also the job description for many HR managers.
5 September – International Day of Charity. A celebration of generosity. If there’s only one Tim Tam left in the office kitchen, this is your moment.
7 September – National Threatened Species Day. Commemorates the death of the last known Tasmanian Tiger in 1936. A reminder that if you do not look after what you have, it disappears. Also applies to good staff.
8 September – International Literacy Day. A timely reminder that “per my last email” is workplace code for “please actually read it this time”.
Have you recently promoted a high-performing employee and want to support them to step up and succeed in their new role?
Are you hiring for a critical role and know the cost of getting it wrong is far greater than the recruitment fee?
Do you have a complex workplace situation and need a calm, experienced professional to coach an employee who may not fully recognise the impact of their behaviour, support a team through tension, or address a sensitive issue before it escalates?
This is where Deborah adds real value.
With more than 30 years of HR leadership and executive coaching experience, Deborah combines strong commercial judgment with a practical, human approach to help leaders make better decisions, build stronger teams and deliver results.
Deborah is someone you can bring in when the stakes are high, and you want more than advice; you want clarity, traction and a better outcome.
Contact Deborah: deborah@jenniferbicknell.com.au | 0419 203 600
Or Jennifer Bicknell: jen@jenniferbicknell.com.au | 0411 275 920
Dear Jen,
My colleague is obsessed with Eastern Rosellas and sings it all day.
It was cute the first 47 times.
How do I make her stop?
Cheers,
Rosella’d Out
Dear Rosella’d Out,
This is awkward. I may be your colleague.
Cheers,
Jen
Ransom Canyon (Netflix) is what happens when Virgin River moves to Texas and buys a cowboy hat. Small town, spectacular scenery, complicated relationships and ridiculously good-looking people making questionable romantic decisions. The perfect escape from real life. Whole second season has dropped. Hooray!
I can’t paint to save myself, so apparently watching people who can is my new hobby. Portrait Artist of the Year (ABC iview) sees Australian artists compete to paint well-known faces. Oddly satisfying viewing.
I remember seeing My Brilliant Career at the movies. Forty-seven (ahem) years later, Netflix has given Miles Franklin’s wonderfully independent Sybylla another outing. I’m choosing to focus on the joy of that rather than what it says about my age. [Fun fact: When you wonder where you know Harry Beecham from, he’s the obnoxious IT dude Roddy Ho from Slow Horses. You’re welcome].
Ever worried that your best friend might secretly be an international assassin? In Ride or Die (Prime) Debbie Claybourne (Octavia Spencer) faces exactly that dilemma when she discovers her bestie of 20 years, Judith Burton (Hannah Waddingham), is not the boring forensic accountant she thought she was. Awkward…
