For HR leaders worried that tackling a senior performer’s conduct will trigger a complaint, reasonable management action carried out in a reasonable manner is excluded from the definition of bullying under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth), a distinction explored in HRD’s guide to how workplace bullying complaints are handled at the Fair Work Commission.
What does good HR look like?
Pillay said the signs of poor HR are easy to recognise: high turnover, reactive strategies, quick-fix morale boosts, inconsistent decision-making, poor communication, employee distrust, delayed pay reviews and the continued employment of known poor performers.
Good HR is harder to spot. “Good HR is often invisible and unseen,” she said, adding that the practitioners most deserving of recognition – those quietly opening conversations and helping leaders earn the workforce’s trust – rarely seek the spotlight.
“The hallmarks of good HR – poor performance is addressed directly and early, the workforce understand decisions even if they don’t agree with them, investigations are quick, fair and clear, recruitment is thoughtful and engages more than just a leader, HRs input is valued more than by just those at the top end of a business, there are less public issues, people know where they stand; expectations are clear, culture is felt, people are valued.”
For employers weighing whether to act on a high performer’s behaviour, Pillay’s point is that the cost of doing nothing – complaints, workers’ compensation, disengaged teams and turnover without clear reasons – is already being paid.