Services
Industrial Relations Training for Business Managers
Management team training is a must in today's IR landscape. Learning your rights as an Employer is equally as important as learning your obligations. Our small and workshop based Industrial Relation training courses offer in depth and hands on training so that participants successfully manage their industrial relations environment.
Incidence Support
'Incidence Support' is a dedicated support service for industrial incidences. Where does small and medium business go for this support and guidance? Law firms are happy to assist, but the service may not offer realistic and workable workplace solutions. It may also be very expensive - and in fact may not need the attention of a fully qualified legal practitioner. SME Assistance Group will provide you with efficient, effective and affordable assistance appropriate to your needs.
Policy and documentation drafting
One of the most important defences in Industrial Relations is open and effective communication. Without it you're organisation is in trouble. SME Assistance Group will assist you to compile important company policies that need to be provided to your workforce such as bullying and harassment policies; anti discrimination policies; grievance and disciplinary action policies and appropriate conduct policies. SME Assistance Group will assist you to manage this process by updating policy documents when required and by reminding you at key opportunities to reaffirm their importance.
Negotiations and Agreement making
SME Assistance Group can conduct negotiations on behalf of your company. SME Assistance Group will make the process of negotiating agreements less stressful for business managers as professional and knowledgeable advice is on hand about the entire process.
General Advice and Guidance
SME Assistance Group does not represent itself as a law firm for the provision of specialist industrial legal knowledge. SME Assistance Group provides generalist advice supported by thorough research of applicable and relevant legislation; case law and industrial relations support services. We aim to be relevant to small and medium business providing a reliable source of information from which employers can make informed decisions.
Conduct of disciplinary processes and grievance procedures
It's no secret that in small and medium business managers and business owners work closely with their employees and staff. The absence of a distinctive hierarchy or layer of middle management can make the process of disciplining staff or attending to grievance processes stressful. And ultimately the outcome or decision made may be influenced by emotions or personalities. SME Assistance Group will provide that buffer for you. Professional management of disciplinary processes and grievance procedures not only assists the Employer in court or tribunal proceedings, but also improve Company effectiveness, integrity and workforce morale. Discipline that is conducted professionally and quickly will help to resolve matters and reduce pressure on other staff. It is also the obligation of employers to address grievances promptly.
Dismissal Management
From time to time employers may be faced with applications bought against them under Unfair Dismissal applications. Under new federal industrial relations law, effective 1 July 2009, all small and medium enterprise owners operating in the federal system will again by subject to unfair dismissal.
The new laws do not encourage the involvement of legal firms.
SME Assistance Group provides dismissal management services to employers to assist in any unfair dismissal applications. Having a professional by your side has to be more assuring!!
Payroll and compliance audits
The word audit is enough to scare anyone away. Payroll and compliance audits focus on improving the future as opposed to addressing the past and should be on every employers list of things to do. One thing is for sure, if your company has misapplied the terms of the relevant Award or Industrial Agreement and over paid employees - you'll never get that cash flow back. However, application errors should not be allowed to continue into the future. This is where payroll and compliance audits are essential. Both processes compare the requirements of the relevant legislation and industrial instrument with the way entitlements are actually processed through payroll (payroll audit) and in terms of other industrial obligations of employers such as working hours; procedure for taking annual leave; enforcing meal breaks; correct application of classifications, policies re absenteeism and bullying etc (compliance audit).
An added bonus exists here too. Employees and staff will see that you as their employer are taking the required responsibility under the legislation and whilst tightening policies may sound like an infringement its actually positive reinforcement that unambiguous and uniformly applied guidelines exist.