Workplace Compliance

Quick Answer: The most common workplace compliance mistakes in Australian businesses are not deliberate breaches. They are seven predictable failure modes: underestimating the worst case, assuming it will not happen here, buying the wrong protection, treating compliance as a set-and-forget insurance policy, having no real incident reporting process, leadership paying lip service, and never explaining […]

Quick Answer: To mitigate the risk of non-compliance, work through seven steps: recognise where your real exposure sits, accept that the law applies regardless of your size or location, build training and policies as your reasonable steps defence, apply the ‘your honour’ test to decisions, make sure people can identify, report and resolve incidents, hold […]

Quick Answer Yes. Policy management is critical to governance, risk and compliance because policies are the connective tissue between all three. Governance sets the direction, risk identifies what could go wrong, and compliance proves you met your obligations, but it is policies, and the records that people have read and understood them, that turn those […]

Wage theft remains a significant challenge across Australian workplaces, affecting thousands of workers who may not even realise they’re being underpaid. From missing superannuation contributions to unpaid overtime, wage theft takes many forms and impacts businesses of all sizes. For employers, understanding compliance obligations is essential not just for legal reasons, but for maintaining workforce […]

Wage theft is no longer just a compliance issue – it’s now a criminal offence in Australia. With stricter laws introduced from 1 January 2025, every employer must understand what wage theft is, how it occurs, and the severe consequences that follow. This blog helps you stay informed and introduces a free webinar hosted by […]

The landscape of workplace compliance in Australia has dramatically shifted in 2025, with wage theft now firmly in the spotlight. For business owners and HR professionals, understanding these changes isn’t just good practice – it’s essential protection against severe penalties that could impact your organisation’s financial health and reputation. Recent legislation has transformed how underpayment […]

The side effects of non-compliance are widely known. Businesses can suffer penalties, reputational damages, and lost revenue-building opportunities.   Many managers and business owners need to recognise the advantages of staying compliant with rules and regulations. Doing so doesn’t just reduce the cost of penalties, etc. It can also help businesses have a competitive advantage. This […]

Are you an HR professional or a client of Sentrient looking to stay informed on the latest compliance trends and best practices? At the start of each year, Sentrient runs an information session on compliance outlook for our clients and the broader network of HR professionals. This year is no exception. As you have been […]

Quick Answer: Power harassment is harassment carried out by someone whose authority over the target makes it hard to refuse, report or escape. Australian law does not use the phrase. Where the conduct is repeated and creates a risk to health and safety it is workplace bullying under the Fair Work Act, and a worker […]

COVID-19 is certainly starting to take its toll on the business world. The incessant pour of information and restrictions being broadcast almost hourly and the fear generated have given many Australian businesses reasons to be concerned about the near future. But no disaster lasts forever. That’s the good thing about them, there is always an […]

The Fair Work Ombudsman ordered that MasterChef Australia’s judge and celebrity chef George Calombaris MAdE Establishment group of companies make a $200,000 contrition payment as a result of the underpayment of more than 500 current and former employees of $7.8 million in salary and superannuation.