HR Mistakes To Avoid

The HR mistakes to avoid in Australian workplaces are rarely dramatic. They are administrative, they are cheap to prevent, and they become expensive the moment a claim is lodged.

• Incomplete employee records. Records must be kept in a specific form for a set period. Failing to keep them properly is a breach in its own right, separate from the underlying dispute.
• No written agreement, or one that never changed. Roles evolve and contracts stay in a drawer from 2019.
• Getting classification wrong. Award, level and employment type. This is the most common source of underpayment, and it is usually an error rather than intent.
• Handling a flexible work request informally. There is a process, a timeframe and a written response requirement.
• Policies with no acknowledgement record. A policy you cannot show someone accepted is difficult to rely on.

None of these require a specialist to fix. They require someone to own them.

The Fair Work Ombudsman publishes guidance on all five. This is general information rather than legal advice, and obligations vary by state and territory.

See Sentrient’s HR management system and workplace policy templates.