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, 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?
Pitches. From Strangers. Bombarding my mailboxes. Apparently my website, profile, marketing and SEO could be “improved”. Good news: they can help. Phew!
Such confidence. Not sure why they think that opening with “I have found flaws in something you own” would make me reach for my credit card?
It’s the online equivalent of walking up to someone at a party and saying, “Your outfit could be better. I sell clothes.”
Take-Out Point: Annoy your prospect first, sell to them never.
Quote of the Week (shared with permission)
“HR is harder than surgery, for sure.”
Said by an actual surgeon, while I was doing nothing more heroic than making sure his employment contracts comply with the relevant Awards.
I’ll take it.
Side Hustle of the Week: Feet Pics Fund World Cup Trip
A viral social media post claims a couple funded their entire FIFA World Cup trip by selling foot photographs online, with one user reporting nearly $4,600 in earnings across five days (a claim that is unverified, and which the original report itself concedes could be a disguised ad for the platform).
The global market for foot imagery is reportedly valued at approximately $2.78 billion, driven by foot fetish demand and the broader creator economy moving from niche platforms into the mainstream.
For employers, the lesson is less about feet and more about this: staff may be running side hustles that outpace their day job. That can affect engagement, retention and, depending on your industry, your reputation. Turns out the moonlighting clause is no longer the boring bit of the contract.
See: Woman funds World Cup trip with bizarre job
Job of the Week: Seal Relocation Officer
Fancy a role where your workday involves coaxing a one-tonne wild animal off suburban lawns using padded poles, boards and noise? Neil the seal temporarily returned to southern Tasmania, bigger than ever.
When you sign up as a wildlife officer, you picture the brochure version: protecting the coastline, tagging majestic creatures, the occasional heroic rescue. What you do not picture is a biannual ritual that requires diverting traffic around a 1,000 kilogram seal while he sleeps on the road.
The job you are hired for and the job you actually do are rarely the same thing. Worth remembering next time you write a position description.
See: Neil the seal temporarily returned to Tasmania bigger than ever at an estimated 1,000 kilograms
JAL CEO’s Pay Cut Over Crew’s Alcohol Breach
A flight attendant breached JAL’s 12-hour pre-flight alcohol restriction and tested positive after drinking with a colleague at a hotel bar during a layover.
The departing flight was delayed by 42 minutes, but JAL treated the incident as a far bigger failure. A spokesperson said, “We accept full accountability for the structural weaknesses that failed to prevent this incident and for the insufficiency of our previous safety measures”.
To prove the point, JAL cut its CEO’s and Chairperson’s pay by 30% for two months and stripped the Chair of his safety controller role. One cabin crew member was terminated and another suspended. Two executives in safety and cabin operations face 20% cuts for a month, and all other directors and officers face 10% cuts.
And in a move that guarantees the former crew member wins no friends, JAL has banned crew alcohol consumption during layovers. Entirely.
Take-Out Point: Consequences felt from the tarmac to the top. Nobody in that business will ever doubt how seriously safety is taken.
See: Japan Airlines cuts CEO’s pay 30% after crew alcohol breach
Frivolous, Vexatious, Hopeless: the FWC now has a bin for all three
The Federal Government has amended the Fair Work Act to give the Fair Work Commission faster tools to clear weak claims and move genuine disputes along without procedural delay.
Under the changes, general protections dismissal and unlawful termination disputes can go straight to conciliation or mediation without first resolving whether a dismissal actually occurred. The jurisdictional argument no longer holds up the process.
The Commission can also dismiss unfair deactivation and unfair termination claims that are frivolous, vexatious or going nowhere, and a Full Bench can block serial applicants from lodging further claims without leave.
Take-Out Point: For employers, while faster resolution is welcome, genuine matters can now land in conciliation before the jurisdictional arguments you were counting on ever get a hearing.
See: Reforms to bolster the Fair Work Commission
and Fair Work Ombudsman: Building Cooperative Workplaces reforms
New Victorian Laws Regarding Sexual Harassment NDAs
New Victorian laws now limit how non‑disclosure agreements (NDAs) can be used in workplace sexual harassment matters.
An NDA that prevents a worker from speaking about their experience of workplace sexual harassment – or naming the person who harassed them (if they are 18 or over) – is not enforceable unless strict statutory preconditions are met.
The laws apply to NDAs entered into after 1 July 2026 and are designed to protect workers who report sexual harassment at or in connection with work, including volunteers.
An NDA can only be used where the complainant requests it, and only after:
- the complainant receives the mandatory Information Statement
- a 21‑day review period is provided (which the complainant may shorten or waive)
- both parties sign the approved acknowledgment form confirming the preconditions were met
If any step is missed, the NDA will not be enforceable against the complainant.
Take‑Out Point: Confidentiality should not be treated as a standard term in Victorian workplace sexual harassment matters.
See: Restricting Non-disclosure Agreements (Sexual Harassment at Work) Act 2025
Employers: Don’t Forget to Issue Updated Information Statements to New Starters
Reminder for employers: Every new employee must receive the required Information Statements before or when they start.
All new employees must be given the Fair Work Information Statement. The current version was updated in July 2026.
In addition, casual employees must receive an additional document – the Casual Employment Information Statement – and employees engaged on a fixed-term contract must receive the Fixed Term Contract Information Statement.
See:
Fair Work Information Statement
Fair Work Information Statement PDF
Casual Employment Information Statement
Casual Employment Information Statement PDF
Fixed Term Contract Information Statement
Fixed Term Contract Information Statement PDF
15 July – World Youth Skills Day. A reminder that developing young workers takes real training, not just an assumption that because they grew up online, they will somehow “work it out”.
17 July – World Emoji Day. Enjoy them, but choose carefully at work. A Canadian court found a thumbs-up emoji was enough to seal an $82,000 contract, so mind that 👍.
20 July – World Chess Day. A day for anyone who has ever tried to manage a workplace issue three moves ahead, while someone else is still deciding whether to reply-all.
26 July – National Tree Day. The one day a year “getting your hands dirty at work” is meant literally, and nobody ends up in HR as a result.
30 July – International Day of Friendship. A salute to the work friend who tells you there is spinach in your teeth, stops you sending the all-staff email in anger and knows exactly what “can you jump on for a quick chat?” means.
Are Your Managers Carrying the Weight of HR Without the Support of HR?
Small to medium businesses without an in-house HR function need clear, cost-effective and practical advice to navigate people issues. These include:
✔ Hiring the right people
✔ Setting up simple, effective HR processes
✔ Managing performance issues early, clearly, and lawfully
✔ Understanding award coverage, pay rates, and entitlements
✔ Responding to complaints, conflict, and workplace tensions
✔ Reducing compliance risk without creating bureaucracy
✔ Distinguishing a “quick fix” from a legal landmine.
With 30 years’ experience as an HR specialist and owner of a construction firm, Sarah Ryding understands the pressures facing business owners and managers.
For a complimentary 15 minute call to explore how Sarah can support your business, contact:
HR Consultant Sarah Ryding: sarah@jenniferbicknell.com.au | 0418 246 547
Or Jennifer Bicknell: jen@jenniferbicknell.com.au | 0411 275 920
Dear Jen,
I manage a small office team, and I am starting to notice that our stationery has developed legs. Pens, notepads, sticky notes, the good scissors, all quietly walking out the door. My strong suspicion is that most of it is being repurposed as school supplies for my staff’s offspring.
I know it’s only stationery but it adds up, and more to the point, taking things without asking is just not on.
What is the best way to deal with this?
Cheers,
The Stationery Sheriff
Dear The Stationery Sheriff,
You are absolutely right. It’s not OK to take things without asking. I’m guessing you don’t help yourself to the contents of your staff’s handbags. The supply cupboard deserves the same courtesy.
Explain it in a way that actually lands. Every business runs on a budget. The more that goes on expenses, the less there is for everything else, including pay rises.
Never underestimate the power of self-interest. Good luck.
Cheers,
Jen
The final season of The Bear has dropped. For the uninitiated, it has nothing to do with bears and everything to do with an outstanding Chicago restaurant run by a magnificently dysfunctional bunch. It wins Emmys for comedy, which is strange because it packs in more drama than a Friday night dinner rush. Streaming now on Disney+.
A lot of lawyers avoid watching shows about lawyers. But when it involves LA crime and a defence attorney with the wisdom, wit, and wardrobe of Jax Stewart, I make an exception. Reasonable Doubt is streaming on Disney+.
The latest season of The Agency has dropped. Great viewing for anyone whose day was not quite stressful enough and who fancies topping off the evening with a shot of CIA-grade tension. Streaming now on Paramount+.
And on the days when you need the exact opposite of CIA-grade tension, there is always the latest “reality” show Million Dollar Nannies. In the high-stakes world of minding the children of the mega rich holidaying in Ibiza, reputation is everything. Reputation. Discretion… and airtime. Car-crash TV at its worst. Streaming on Disney+.
