FWC releases bullying guide, flowchart; Vale Terry Ludeke and Keith Marshall; Abetz consulting on appeals jurisdiction policy that's yet to be released, says Opposition.
The FWC is seeking feedback by Thursday on a 13-page draft form to be completed by workers who claim they have been bullied, which provides them the option of ticking a box for up to six remedies, while also giving them the chance to propose their own solution.
The FWC is expecting a "significant number" of bullying applications and inquiries next year and has released a model for dealing with them and a draft benchbook, as well as announcing Commissioner Peter Hampton's appointment as the head of its anti-bullying panel.
With Australia's new federal bullying regime set to take effect next year, the FWC has turned to the UK's national workplace tribunal for its experiences in dealing with bullying and harassment complaints.
The Coalition has largely succeeded in neutralising IR as a 2013 federal election issue by promising to retain – at least for one term – Labor's Fair Work framework, but Australia's two major parties are still going to the September 7 poll with some significant policy differences, including on paid parental leave, right of entry, and construction industry regulation. Workplace Express compares their IR policies and those of the Greens, whose future hold on the Senate balance of power is uncertain.
With the FWC's new bullying jurisdiction to commence operation in less than five months, Master Builders Australia claims there are practical difficulties with the regime, including the potential for "go away" money, confusion arising from multiple actions, and the absence of a pre-screening process.
The federal government's Fair Work Amendment Bill 2013 is through the House of Representatives with its right of entry provisions intact but with its bullying provisions delayed by six months and no expanded arbitration for greenfields bargaining or intractable disputes.
Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten has today committed to introducing new laws that will enable bullying victims to seek rapid redress through the Fair Work Commission.
