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September 08 Newsletter

bully

Dealing with Workplace Bullying

It’s estimated that workplace bullying costs Australian business as much as $13 billion per year, when taking into account reduced profits due to absenteeism, decrease in productivity, higher staff turnover and legal costs. Bullying can lead to reinstatement claims, compensation for sexual harassment or discrimination, damage costs for personal or psychiatric injury, prosecution for breach of Occupational Health and Safety law, and criminal charges in the case of assault. There can be highly damaging social and emotional impact to victims and bullying can also be very destructive to workplace morale.

Companies must have processes in place to recognise and deal with bullying. Bullying can be covered by a code of conduct or as part of an OHS policy. Having a written policy in place enables employers to discipline, and if necessary, remove a bully.

Employers must also make sure workplace policies and culture discourage behaviour which may be seen as bullying. Personalities vary and what may seem humorous to one person can be construed as an attack by someone else. Jokes, comments or actions may not be intended to cause harm, but can be perceived that way by the recipient and the courts.

Employers also need to be aware of new employees, especially in regard to any kind of “initiation”, and with new employees it can be difficult to judge how they may take a ‘light-hearted’ reception. Employee hierarchy is also significant, as junior employees can be more susceptible to the words or actions of their superiors.

The steps employers need to take:

• Develop effective policy and procedures to deal with inappropriate conduct.

• Communicate the policy to employees with regular training and induction for new staff, and be sure of compliance through regular follow-up.

• Consult with employees to identify any inappropriate behaviour, survey employees to see if inappropriate behaviour does exist, and determine what can be done to circumvent any culture of bullying.

• Take all complaints seriously and make proper investigations.

• Keep accurate records of steps taken to assist in case of legal action.

employ

New Employment Services to Better Assist Job Seekers

Mr Brendan O’Connor, Minister for Employment Participation, recently announced the release of the ‘Exposure Draft’ of new purchasing arrangements for $3.9 billion of spending for new employment services.

Before inviting tenders for the new employment services, which will happen later this month, the Government first considered feedback from more than 190 stakeholders. These consisted of employment services providers, employers, state and federal parliamentarians, unions and job seekers. Some refinements were then made which include:

• Employment service providers’ performance should be gauged on social outcomes, as well as employment outcomes, for highly disadvantaged job seekers, such as improvements in literacy and numeracy.

• A greater recognition of the efforts that employment service providers make to prepare disadvantaged job seekers in finding work.

• Broadening the eligibility for the $41 million Innovation Fund beyond employment services providers to a wider range of organisations. Such as; organisations that propose innovative ideas to address barriers to employment for highly disadvantaged individuals and areas.

• Build up NEIS, New Enterprise Incentive Scheme, with more than 18,000 training places. Places will be available under the Productivity Places Program in areas of skill shortage, for job seekers who choose to establish their own small businesses. Additionally, highly disadvantaged and indigenous job seekers will be encouraged to attend NEIS training.

Mr O’Connor said the new services are a major reshaping of existing employment services. Employment service providers can specialise for job seeker groups such as youth, indigenous Australians, the homeless and those with mental illnesses.

As part of the Rudd Government’s ‘Homelessness White Paper’, also due for release this month, there will be work on social outcomes for homeless job seekers.

The Government will strengthen links with indigenous employment programs and require employment service providers in remote areas to work closely with communities to develop more employment opportunities for indigenous people. It has also been proposed that for all successful tenders there will be a requirement to develop a strategy for employing and retaining indigenous Australians in their own organisations.

Job seekers will receive tailored assistance, known as an Employment Pathway Plan, which could consist of a combination of employment services, work experience and training.

Mr O’Connor said Work for the Dole will be maintained as a primary work experience activity. He said the current system is out of date and is a complex maze of employment programs that don’t meet the needs of longer term unemployed people in today’s tight labour market. He also said that it is essential for the Government to reduce the amount of unnecessary administration that employment service providers have so they can spend more time with job seekers.

The Government has committed $1.9 billion over the next five years to provide 630,000 new training places, 238,000 of which are to be focused in areas of skill shortage. The Government will work with Skilling Australia to address skill shortages, including the area of self-employment.

approach

Are You Approachable?

Both within the workplace and when looking for work, approachability is a valuable asset. Being approachable involves putting others at ease. Characteristics of approachable people include listening, sharing, understanding and initiating communication. Usually, approachable people are likeable and are able to gain more information from others, know things before others do and get others to do more things for them. Does this sound like you? If not, don't worry, approachability can be developed through practice.

Becoming more approachable:

Take the lead: When meeting people be the first to offer your hand and make first eye contact. Ask the first question or share the first piece of information and work to make the situation comfortable.

Ask questions: Many people struggle at interviews, when networking, and in their daily working lives. People can be too accepting of statements, suggestions and conclusions, and not ask 'what if?' or 'how do you see this?’ type of questions. Approachable people ask curiosity questions. They make fewer solution statements early in a conversation and keep probing until they understand what’s being said. Generally, if you probe a little with people you'll find you've something in common with practically anyone. You can ask questions about people’s interests, children or sporting interests for example, and in an interview you could ask more general questions about the company and the job.

Share: Share small pieces of information, such as information about your interests. When at work share information you think may help others to do their jobs better or will widen their perspective, and so open the way for more rapport.

Active listening: Be a good listener and do so without immediately judging, or interrupting the other person. Ask clarifying questions and feed back by paraphrasing and let the person know they’re being heard. When replying eliminate disruptive habits such as speaking too quickly or going into too much detail.

Non-verbal communication: Approachable people are aware of the power of non-verbal communication. They appear calm, smile, have good eye contact and are tuned in to signals from others. When in conversation, use appropriate body language such as open body posture and nod appropriately to let the other person know you are listening.

Practice: A good first step is to practice these techniques with friends. Ask for feedback, what you did well and what could be improved. When networking or attending interviews ask yourself afterwards if you were approachable, did you put the other person at ease and what could've been developed further?

You'll know you've learned these skills when others approach you more often, share more information and are pleased to network with you. When at an interview you can add that this is one of your key attributes and back it up by example

stress

Avoiding Stress Overload at Work

We all accept pressure, tension and anxiety as trials to be dealt with in the workplace, but the fact is stress can be a serious problem if not dealt with properly. Not only will it affect your ability to do your job well, but you can suffer serious consequences such as migraines, high blood pressure, stomach ulcers and even depression. So how do you calm down when the pressure is on? There are short and long term solutions:

Short term solutions

Staying hydrated is important: Office air-conditioning depletes your body of moisture and puts it under stress. Keep a litre bottle of water on your desk and finish it every day. Drinking tea is also a good way to stay hydrated and calm. Studies show that both herbal and normal teas rejuvenate and relax the body. Avoid too much coffee or sugary drinks, they spike your energy and it later comes crashing down.

Take a time-out: Your brain is not meant to work full speed for eight hours straight so give it regular breaks during the day. Closing your eyes for 30 seconds or looking out the window and taking a few deep breaths will relieve your eyes and your stress. If you feel tense jump on the spot a few times for relief. Be aware of your own stress warning signals. Knowing what stresses you and appropriately withdrawing from certain situations can help you to avoid a breakdown.

Be organised: Take time at the end of each day to tidy your work space and write a to-do list for the next day. This will make your morning arrival more pleasant and being able to orientate yourself first off helps to maintain peace of mind.

Relaxation trigger points: Relieve stress by rubbing the back of your head, you can ask someone to rub between your shoulder blades for the same effect. To ease a headache, poke your tongue out and bite it as hard as you can for 10 seconds without hurting yourself. To cool down when you're angry tap your collar bones, or hold your temples for 30 seconds, thumb on one side and two fingers on the other, to return blood flow to the forehead.

Spread some inspiration: Maintaining clear goals will help you through difficult periods. Keep in mind why you're doing what you’re doing and where you're heading by keeping inspirational pictures and quotes at hand, you could have one as your computer screensaver. Lift your spirits through personal affirmation, encourage your self esteem by rewarding yourself for doing a good job.

Long term solutions

Sleep off tension: Around 60 percent of people who are stressed also don't get enough sleep. Everyone needs six to eight hours for their body to rejuvenate. If you have trouble going to sleep try a warm shower with some lavender body wash, and read a good book. Try to avoid late night eating and television as these make your mind more alert.

Take a holiday : If you’re taking a two week break, an overseas trip can cause more stress than it's worth. Taking into account jet lag and travel time, you can lose several days from your vacation. Look into domestic options, a fortnight interstate, or a weekend away can be marvellous. Invite a few friends, some fun and laughter is a great cure.

Keep active : Exercise is an extremely important and effective stress buster. Just 20 minutes of cardio three times a week releases tension in the body and disperses toxins, you could also try yoga. Make sure you take a lunch break. Go outside for a walk and get some fresh air and sunlight, instead of staying slumped over your desk.

A healthy diet: Full with protein, eggs, meat, whole grains and greens and regular low-GI meals, including a proper breakfast, will keep you firing.

Relax on weeknights: Don’t schedule lots of chores during the week, leave bigger tasks for the weekend. Relax with a good CD, a meal and company. Avoid alcohol, it makes you tired, instead talk with a friend or your partner.

Life and work should to be enjoyed. The first rule with work place stress is not to ignore it. Leaving stress unchecked can cause serious problems. Speak up if your workload is too much, no one will disapprove if you say you could do a much better job if you have less pressure. If all fails then attend a stress management course and a have check-up with your doctor.

temp

Temp of the Month

This month our Temp of the Month competition winner is... JACQUELINE COLVEY!

This is what Jacqueline’s lovely managers said about her;

"Jacqui has performed her telemarketing role with enthusiasm and diligence. Despite being a sole operator she has been able to maintain her energy and motivation and has been able to obtain a number of leads from customers. She has used initiative in developing the telemarketing script and has followed up customers where necessary.

Jacqui has taken on a challenging task with energy and has been able to achieve excellent results."

What a star!! Thanks so much Jacqueline, you are a credit to Beaumont Consulting!

We would also like to make a special mention to one of our longest standing temps who received some terrific feedback this month – Lorenzo Ruru! This is what his manager said about him;

"Lorenzo, you have shown consistent commitment and dedication to your assignment. You are always volunteering for overtime and have a great attitude. You are always eager to expand your knowledge and learn more – you are an asset to the organization!"

Well done Lorenzo, what a lovely compliment!

sep

Whats on in September

September is Save the Koala Month ! Click here for more information.

“Through Your Eyes” – Homeless Exhibition – until 1 October 2008

Last chance to visit MV Doulos – until 7 September 2008

Fathers Day – 7 September 2008 – for gift ideas try this site:

Festival of the Winds – 14 September 2008

Australian Olympians Homecoming Parade - 15 September 2008
The parade route begins at Circular Quay at 12.00pm then runs through George Street before ending at Town Hall where Lord Mayor Clover Moore will reportedly host a reception for the team.