Hello!
Welcome to the final edition of your favourite workplace newsletter for 2025. Catch up on the things you need to know and some things that will make you laugh out loud.
In this issue there are news snippets, details of amended legislation, and sage advice in the “Dear Jen” column.
And of course, I share my recommendations for your viewing pleasure.
Next week, subscribers will receive the Annual ‘After Work’ Almanac which contains all of the TV shows recommended in 2025 for your summer binge-watching pleasure.
I hope this newsletter brings you some wisdom and joy!
Cheers, Jen
What seasonal habit am I seeing out there in the workplace world?
The Fake Deadline of Christmas.
That task ‘due’ by 24 December… it’s not getting touched ‘til after the beach, the pavlova, and possibly Australia Day. Let’s stop pretending.
If you’re not actioning it between Boxing Day and the end of the Sydney Test match, call it what it is – ‘a January problem’.
BRIEFLY
Macquarie Dictionary’s Word of the Year for 2025 (and winner of people’s choice vote): ‘AI slop’
‘Low-quality content created by generative AI [artificial intelligence], often containing errors, and not requested by the user’.
Ouch…
Job of the Week: Website Creator
Fee (if you find the right client): $96m
See: $96m BOM website
Another Job of the Week: Impersonating Dead Mother
A son who bore an uncanny resemblance to his late mother (whose body he kept at home – ewww) has allegedly been caught impersonating her to collect her pension.
Take Out Point: Don’t. Just don’t.
See: Italian man claims dead mother’s pension
Team Meetings with Tatt’s Thrown In
The Melbourne CEO of creative agency, Kill Boring Dead, has a unique way to foster creativity: staff should expect the unexpected.
From drag queen performances to getting a tattoo in a meeting, the team are provided ‘world class perks’ to deliver world class creativity.
According to the CEO, the Christmas Party comes with a non-disclosure agreement.
Take Out Point: Creative workplace environment – great. But a Christmas Party that comes with an NDA…
See: Aussie CEO reveals why he chucked out the 9-5 rule book
Eight ‘Wellbeing Days’ for Reserve Bank Staff
Staff at the Reserve Bank of Australia can now take up to eight ‘wellbeing days’ each year – no explanation needed.
This new entitlement forms part of changes to the RBA’s enterprise agreement, recently approved by the Fair Work Commission. The updated agreement also includes a 5% pay increase and improved provisions for accrued rostered days off. It applies to employees earning a base salary of up to $101,789.
Take Out Point: If interest rates don’t come down soon, we will all need some ‘wellbeing days’.
See: Reserve Bank staff given eight ‘wellbeing days’
NSW Parliament Passes Workers’ Compensation Reforms
The NSW Parliament has passed stripped-back workers’ compensation reforms after political and public opposition to the Government’s original proposal to increase the whole-person impairment threshold for psychological injuries from 15% to 31%.
That plan was ultimately defeated, with Liberals, Greens, and Independents joining forces to remove the change.
The Government is now pursuing associated reforms through a separate bill – the Workers Compensation Legislation Amendment (Reform and Modernisation) Bill 2025 – which will incorporate compromises offered by crossbench members.
As part of these reforms, the Government will commission the NSW Chief Psychiatrist to design a better system for psychiatric assessments in workers compensation claims.
Take Out Point: The system is broken…and broke. Bigger reforms are needed.
See: Workers Compensation Legislation Amendment Bill 2025
and Workers Compensation Legislation Amendment (Reform and Modernisation) Bill 2025
Dear Jen,
We hold a “secret Santa” at work.
I have to buy something for my boss for $20.
Should I play it safe or buy her something funny?
Cheers,
Anonymous Elf
Dear desperate to be funny Elf,
I have one word for you.
Candle.
Cheers,
Jen
Get ready for next week’s release of the Annual ‘After Work’ Almanac which contains all of the TV shows recommended in 2025 for your summer binge-watching pleasure.
What I’m Watching (Against My Better Judgement) (On Disney+)
Despite being created by Ryan Murphy (Glee) and starring award-winners Naomi Watts, Glenn Close, and Sarah Paulson, the always-fabulous Niecy Nash, and… law graduate Kim Kardashian, All’s Fair scored a mere 3% on Rotten Tomatoes. This drama about a family law firm is terrible. The script is cringe. The legal bits are laughable. But… the fashion? Impeccable. The private jets? Aspirational. The Kim K effect? Undeniable. It’s the ultimate hate-watch, and it’s already been renewed for another season. Go figure.
What I’m Watching (On Netflix)
Real estate p#rn lovers, rejoice – Ryan Serhant is back in Owning Manhattan selling jaw-dropping New York penthouses with infinity pools, marble everything, and price tags that start at ‘don’t ask’. He’s still unbearably confident. Still name-dropping. Still touring apartments no normal person could ever afford. And yet…I can’t look away.
What I’m Watching (On Amazon Prime)
In Malice, Jack Whitehall plays a disturbingly charming tutor who worms his way into the ultra-wealthy Tanner family – only to unravel them from the inside out. David Duchovny stars as the brooding patriarch in this sleek psychological thriller where no one is quite who they seem. Highly bingeable rich people chaos. Warning: May cause you to lose trust in your child’s tutor.
What I’m Ready to Start Watching Again (on Netflix)
Yes, Emily in Paris is back. I can already hear your eyeballs rolling but hear me out. There is absolutely nothing annoying about a loud, 20-something American swanning around Paris in outfits no junior marketing exec could possibly afford, navigating work crises with zero experience, and somehow being adored by everyone she meets. Très realistic. Non. Is it high art? Non. Is it highly watchable with a glass of vino in hand? Oui!
