Past News
WRC Past News Updates
Make it Work Regional Workshop
The North West Advisory Group held a Make it Work regional workshop in Narrabri on Monday 14 December 2009. Make It Work is a fresh and innovative venture from within the north-west NSW region aimed at addressing attitudes and opportunities for rewarding employment. The workshop will be presented by Dr John Buchanan, Director of the Workplace Research Centre at the University of Sydney and is designed for business owners and managers from north-west inland NSW. The two-hour workshop will provide insights into the attributes and conditions necessary for building effective relationships within a business. It is designed to assist you to adapt your leadership style and businesses processes. To download the flyer and for more information click here
Climate Change @ Work Brisbane
29th October, Ship Inn, South Bank BrisbaneEarlier this year Australian economist Professor Ross Garnaut stated the first strength of Australia in the context of effective sustainable development is the strength of our human resource base. The Climate Change @ Work conference focuses on this key human element of sustainable development. It promotes achieving sustainability in the workplace through sustainable leadership and management practice. From important HR Management issues, such as how sustainability practices will affect workplace relations, skill demands and jobs, to operational issues such as achieving carbon reduction in the workplace. Another key management issue presented at the conference is how to promote, communicate and engage your employees in sustainable development.To view the program for the conference click here
Sustainable development in the workplace is something that needs to be addressed by management across the company, John Buchanan, Director of the Workplace Research Centre states, and the HR Function has to be one of the driving forces behind it. A recent study by Auckland University of Technology shows that HR practitioners are too passive when it comes to driving environmental sustainability in the workplace, the report states "the HR field has thus far largely failed to engage". This conference promotes strategic sustainable development in the workplace, and this means commitment from all areas of management. The Workplace Research Centre, University of Sydney has been running the Climate Change @ Work Conference for two years in Sydney and now looks forward to bringing it to Brisbane. The conference presents the latest insights into sustainable development in the workplace from key thought leaders in Australia.
Upcoming WRC Conferences
3 days to go! Happiness + Wellbeing @ Work Conference 2009
25th September Harbours Edge,
9am - 5pm Darling Harbour
Group price available: $495 inc gst per person.
Regular Price $595 inc gst
To view the program for the conference click here.
Happiness + Wellbeing @ Work – going to work can be hazardous to our health.
Harvard Law School sponsors an annual conference in applying mindfulness meditation to the practice of Law. Consultants at the global consulting firm McKinsey and Company view “Spiritual Intelligence” as essential for successfully leading in the 21st century. Google sponsors daily meditation sessions for its employees. What is causing the trend toward mindfulness in the workplace and how can it help your employees thrive? Many leading organizations in business, law, education and other fields are using mindfulness meditation to promote competent leadership, reduce stress and foster health and well-being.
The 3rd Happiness + Wellbeing @ Work Conference organised by the Workplace Research Centre (WRC), University of Sydney will take place next Friday, 25th September 2009 at Harbours Edge, Darling Harbour, Sydney. The conference will present strategies to business leaders for generating increased productivity through the dominant value of employee happiness and wellbeing. Keynote international speaker Michael Carroll, author of The Mindful Leader (Shambhala 2007) and Awake at Work (Shambhala 2004), Buddhist teacher and former Disney executive, will explain how simply sitting still can cultivate such benefits and how it can help your employees succeed in the workplace.
More and more research is documenting a simple yet disturbing fact: going to work can be hazardous to our health. Medical studies are documenting that heart disease, weak immune systems, chronic fatigue, drug addiction and broken families are often a result of unsuccessful attempts to adapt to our stressful and chaotic work lives; Michael Carroll explains. What if we could discover how to be more at home in our careers rather than stressed out?
At the conference workplace leaders will hear from Professor Robert A. Cummins, Personal Chair in Psychology at Deakin University and Dr. Suzy Green, Clinical and Coaching Psychologist, University if Sydney. They will present the latest Workplace Wellbeing research supporting Happiness and Wellbeing strategies in the workplace. Professor Cummins has published widely on the topic of Quality of Life and is regarded as an international authority in this area. Dr. Green is a leader in the complementary fields of Coaching Psychology and Positive Psychology having conducted a world-first study on evidence-based coaching as an Applied Positive Psychology.
Industry practitioners will gain insights into successful employee wellbeing programs being run by ING Australia, TNT Australia and Sydney Water. Case studies will be presented outlining the evolution, implementation and measurement of each wellbeing program. Afternoon workshops will give industry practitioners an in-depth insight into the critical issues for management and examples of different wellbeing workshops that may be used within the workplace. Senior Beyond Blue Facilitator Edith Hurt will be presenting a workshop from Beyondblue National Workplace Program: Mental Health in the Workplace and Prof. Tim Sharp of the Happiness Institute will be presenting a workshop on Building resilience during tough times.
Other topics on the day include; Is the boss killing you? Parental Wellbeing and happiness @ Work and “Happy people = Happy Profits”.
Contact Karen Treacy for more information on K.treacy@econ.usyd.edu.au
To view Media release please click here
Australian Workplace Conference
Featured Conference Topics:
Working in an Uncertain World: What are workers thinking?
What are today's workers thinking? This presentation will bring to you one of the first accounts of workers’ experiences in this economic downturn from the 2009 Australia at Work survey of 6000 people and will examine what Australian workers think about workplace bargaining, unions, their managers, workloads, job security and their living standards. Our 2007 and 2008 reports are available on the WRC website.
For more information on the Australia at Work Survey please go to the website http://www.australiaatwork.org.au/
Workplace Development: Building a platform for growth in a downturn.
What happens to workforce development in a downturn? What are the viable alternatives to redundancy and how are organisations managing these issues here and overseas? As job numbers drop and what role can governments play in nurturing workforce development during a downturn? These are some of the questions presenters will be considering in this session.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
For the most part CSR has been a disappointment. This session provides a critical overview of CSR and its prospects as a concept for better aligning corporations with society’s evolving ethical and environmental expectations. The session will also present a view on the evolution of attitudes to investment and governance by a significant group of institutional investors – superannuation funds.
Download Final Program HereUNEMPLOYMENT would have been much worse in Australia if there had not been a "tacit form" of job sharing in many workplaces, while many part-time employees and contractors have suffered an "involuntary" cut in hours. The Workplace Research Centre has found that the number of hours worked in the economy has declined by the equivalent of 200,000 full-time positions in the past year while actual employment has only fallen by a net 25,000 jobs. Read more
Productivity, skills and working time: overcoming unemployment now and jobless growth in the recovery.
The WRC has just released new data that clarifies the key policy challenges of our time: rising unemployment today, jobless growth in the recovery and unstable productivity growth. Read more
Next Professional Development and Training course:
Essential Employee Relations 4-5th August in Sydney.
This two-day course has been successfully supporting line managers, Human Resources professionals and others requiring an overview of IR, key employment relations issues and their application in the workplace. Limited spaces available.
"Is Australia ready for Good Faith Bargaining?” “How will employers and unions respond to the Great Recession?” “What threats and opportunities are posed by the new Fair Work Act which came into play yesterday?"
The critical issue facing Australian companies is just how long will the recession last and how will companies be able to retain key skills and capabilities to take advantage of any emergent recovery. One of the more controversial aspects of the Federal Budget is the forecast of strong recovery and sustained above trend growth within three years. This poses a real dilemma for business and the government. Do employers hang on to their key people and risk even bigger cut backs later or are further cuts made now which means unemployment will be even higher than the near 1 million already indicated? Either way there are enormous pressures on business to reduce labour costs now and we are already seeing adjustments in hours and scheduled leave, pay freezes or deferral of pay rises in professional and blue collar employment alike.
What are employers and unions thinking about the new Fair Work Act?
Canberra's seminar will bring together the insights that our Director has collated from around the country. This is an invaluable event.
Managing the New Uncertainties: Strategies to respond to the Fair Work Act in the Economic Crisis
Understanding how the new Act works, complying with the new standards and procedures and whether the duty of good faith bargaining helps or hinders how industry copes with the worst recession since the 1930s are critical issues we all need to understand. Each event will bring together key business and union leaders to talk about their thinking and strategies. The final event in Canberra will collate the views from around the country for the emerging way ahead. Seminars will take place in:
Perth (16 June),
Melbourne (18 June),
Brisbane (23 June),
Sydney (26 June) and
Canberra (1 July).
17th Annual Labour Law Conference, 15th May
John Buchanan, Director, Workplace Research Centre & The Hon. Michael Kirby
The 17th Annual Labour Law Conference was a great success, speakers were very insightful and feedback from the day highlighted that the information was extremely relevant. To purchase paper from the 17th Annual Labour Law Conference, please select the following link Purchase papers now
WRC Response to 2009 Federal Budget
Retirement age extension – economic populism driving policy by Dr Michael Rafferty
Australians work some of the longest weekly hours in the western world. Yesterday’s budget now demands that they will spend longer in the workforce as well. This policy is being justified by the idea that there is a looming aging crisis which cannot be funded. But the idea of a looming crisis is largely a myth. It is based on single issue economic populism, which neglects the fact that the key to funding retirement is future production. Australia is already a wealthy society and is becoming more productive all the time. We should focus our attention on how that wealth can be better shared, and how to make society more productive, not penalising older people.
Contact Dr Michael Rafferty for further comments on 02 9351 5626 02 9351 5626 .
MEDIA SPOTLIGHT
Thursday, 12 March 2009, John also appeared on ABC Lateline to discuss and explain the significance of today's job figures and unemployment.
John Buchanan made a special appearance on Channel Nine’s Today Morning News on Monday, 20 April to discuss the rights of workers in the current economic situation.
Climate Change @ Work
Thank you to those who attended the Climate Change @ Work Conference, it was a great success. The wide variety of speakers on the day were extremely passionate on the topic of Climate Change and provided a range of views on the issues. Presentations are now available on our website for purchase. Purchase papers now
HEINZ Schandl, CSIRO senior scientist, and co-author of the recent report the Growing the Green Collar Economy, believes that as many jobs will be created as will be lost if a carbon pollution reduction scheme is adopted.
Schandl, who is speaking at Climate Change @ Work Conference on the 3rd of April, projects increases in employment of 2.5 million to 3.3 million jobs over the next two decades.
The Workplace Research Centre (WRC) at University of Sydney is organising the Climate Change @ Work Conference to help businesses, government, unions, education and training institutions to identify the skills and labour challenges and opportunities that they will face in transforming and creating green collar workforces.
Opening speakers will include Greg Combet, Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change, who will give an update on the Federal Government’s policies and priorities, and Senator Christine Milne, Australian Greens, will be communicating the need for the government to set a Green Jobs target.
Peter Poschen, Senior Policy Specialist for Sustainability at the International Labour organisation (ILO) will be presenting information from the United Nations and ILO’s GreenJobs Initiative. Caroline Alcorso, NSW, Department of Education and Training, will be outlining the Government's recently released Green Skills Strategy.
Representatives from diverse companies – PwC, Fuji Xerox, Cascade Green and Polycom – will talk about how they have been meeting the requirements of the new low carbon economy. And to help conference delegates discover how they might implement changes and achieve sustainability in their own workplaces, WRC has also organised industry consultants to explain how to take action.
The Climate Change @ Work Conference is an essential forum for those who wish to transform their business via greening their workforce in these times of economic uncertainty and environmental changes. Hear leading thinkers in the field present new approaches to green education, training and job design.
Barack Obama has pledged to create 5 million new green jobs. The Federal Government’s Productivity Places Program plans to have at least 40,000 green job training opportunities by 2010. How many green jobs will you have in your workplace by 2010?
Conference Details:
For information: Karen Treacy k.treacy@econ.usyd.edu.au or call 02 9351 5624 02 9351 5624 .
Climate Change at Work: Creating the Sustainable Workplace
3rd April 2009
Hilton Sydney, 488 George St Sydney
9am – 5.00pm Registrations from 8.30am
Group price $600 (2 or more) Regular cost $695
Make it Work Regional Workshop
The North West Advisory Group held a Make it Work regional workshop in Narrabri on Monday 14 December 2009. Make It Work is a fresh and innovative venture from within the north-west NSW region aimed at addressing attitudes and opportunities for rewarding employment. The workshop will be presented by Dr John Buchanan, Director of the Workplace Research Centre at the University of Sydney and is designed for business owners and managers from north-west inland NSW. The two-hour workshop will provide insights into the attributes and conditions necessary for building effective relationships within a business. It is designed to assist you to adapt your leadership style and businesses processes. To download the flyer and for more information click hereClimate Change @ Work Brisbane
29th October, Ship Inn, South Bank BrisbaneEarlier this year Australian economist Professor Ross Garnaut stated the first strength of Australia in the context of effective sustainable development is the strength of our human resource base. The Climate Change @ Work conference focuses on this key human element of sustainable development. It promotes achieving sustainability in the workplace through sustainable leadership and management practice. From important HR Management issues, such as how sustainability practices will affect workplace relations, skill demands and jobs, to operational issues such as achieving carbon reduction in the workplace. Another key management issue presented at the conference is how to promote, communicate and engage your employees in sustainable development.To view the program for the conference click here
Sustainable development in the workplace is something that needs to be addressed by management across the company, John Buchanan, Director of the Workplace Research Centre states, and the HR Function has to be one of the driving forces behind it. A recent study by Auckland University of Technology shows that HR practitioners are too passive when it comes to driving environmental sustainability in the workplace, the report states "the HR field has thus far largely failed to engage". This conference promotes strategic sustainable development in the workplace, and this means commitment from all areas of management. The Workplace Research Centre, University of Sydney has been running the Climate Change @ Work Conference for two years in Sydney and now looks forward to bringing it to Brisbane. The conference presents the latest insights into sustainable development in the workplace from key thought leaders in Australia.
Upcoming WRC Conferences
3 days to go! Happiness + Wellbeing @ Work Conference 2009
25th September Harbours Edge,
9am - 5pm Darling Harbour
Group price available: $495 inc gst per person.
Regular Price $595 inc gst
To view the program for the conference click here.
Happiness + Wellbeing @ Work – going to work can be hazardous to our health.
Harvard Law School sponsors an annual conference in applying mindfulness meditation to the practice of Law. Consultants at the global consulting firm McKinsey and Company view “Spiritual Intelligence” as essential for successfully leading in the 21st century. Google sponsors daily meditation sessions for its employees. What is causing the trend toward mindfulness in the workplace and how can it help your employees thrive? Many leading organizations in business, law, education and other fields are using mindfulness meditation to promote competent leadership, reduce stress and foster health and well-being.
The 3rd Happiness + Wellbeing @ Work Conference organised by the Workplace Research Centre (WRC), University of Sydney will take place next Friday, 25th September 2009 at Harbours Edge, Darling Harbour, Sydney. The conference will present strategies to business leaders for generating increased productivity through the dominant value of employee happiness and wellbeing. Keynote international speaker Michael Carroll, author of The Mindful Leader (Shambhala 2007) and Awake at Work (Shambhala 2004), Buddhist teacher and former Disney executive, will explain how simply sitting still can cultivate such benefits and how it can help your employees succeed in the workplace.
More and more research is documenting a simple yet disturbing fact: going to work can be hazardous to our health. Medical studies are documenting that heart disease, weak immune systems, chronic fatigue, drug addiction and broken families are often a result of unsuccessful attempts to adapt to our stressful and chaotic work lives; Michael Carroll explains. What if we could discover how to be more at home in our careers rather than stressed out?
At the conference workplace leaders will hear from Professor Robert A. Cummins, Personal Chair in Psychology at Deakin University and Dr. Suzy Green, Clinical and Coaching Psychologist, University if Sydney. They will present the latest Workplace Wellbeing research supporting Happiness and Wellbeing strategies in the workplace. Professor Cummins has published widely on the topic of Quality of Life and is regarded as an international authority in this area. Dr. Green is a leader in the complementary fields of Coaching Psychology and Positive Psychology having conducted a world-first study on evidence-based coaching as an Applied Positive Psychology.
Industry practitioners will gain insights into successful employee wellbeing programs being run by ING Australia, TNT Australia and Sydney Water. Case studies will be presented outlining the evolution, implementation and measurement of each wellbeing program. Afternoon workshops will give industry practitioners an in-depth insight into the critical issues for management and examples of different wellbeing workshops that may be used within the workplace. Senior Beyond Blue Facilitator Edith Hurt will be presenting a workshop from Beyondblue National Workplace Program: Mental Health in the Workplace and Prof. Tim Sharp of the Happiness Institute will be presenting a workshop on Building resilience during tough times.
Other topics on the day include; Is the boss killing you? Parental Wellbeing and happiness @ Work and “Happy people = Happy Profits”.
Contact Karen Treacy for more information on K.treacy@econ.usyd.edu.au
To view Media release please click here
3 days to go! Happiness + Wellbeing @ Work Conference 2009
25th September Harbours Edge,
9am - 5pm Darling Harbour
Group price available: $495 inc gst per person.
Regular Price $595 inc gstTo view the program for the conference click here.
Contact Karen Treacy for more information on K.treacy@econ.usyd.edu.au
Australian Workplace Conference
Featured Conference Topics:
Working in an Uncertain World: What are workers thinking?
What are today's workers thinking? This presentation will bring to you one of the first accounts of workers’ experiences in this economic downturn from the 2009 Australia at Work survey of 6000 people and will examine what Australian workers think about workplace bargaining, unions, their managers, workloads, job security and their living standards. Our 2007 and 2008 reports are available on the WRC website.
For more information on the Australia at Work Survey please go to the website http://www.australiaatwork.org.au/
Workplace Development: Building a platform for growth in a downturn.
What happens to workforce development in a downturn? What are the viable alternatives to redundancy and how are organisations managing these issues here and overseas? As job numbers drop and what role can governments play in nurturing workforce development during a downturn? These are some of the questions presenters will be considering in this session.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
For the most part CSR has been a disappointment. This session provides a critical overview of CSR and its prospects as a concept for better aligning corporations with society’s evolving ethical and environmental expectations. The session will also present a view on the evolution of attitudes to investment and governance by a significant group of institutional investors – superannuation funds.
Download Final Program HereUNEMPLOYMENT would have been much worse in Australia if there had not been a "tacit form" of job sharing in many workplaces, while many part-time employees and contractors have suffered an "involuntary" cut in hours. The Workplace Research Centre has found that the number of hours worked in the economy has declined by the equivalent of 200,000 full-time positions in the past year while actual employment has only fallen by a net 25,000 jobs. Read more
Productivity, skills and working time: overcoming unemployment now and jobless growth in the recovery.
The WRC has just released new data that clarifies the key policy challenges of our time: rising unemployment today, jobless growth in the recovery and unstable productivity growth. Read more
Next Professional Development and Training course:
Essential Employee Relations 4-5th August in Sydney.
This two-day course has been successfully supporting line managers, Human Resources professionals and others requiring an overview of IR, key employment relations issues and their application in the workplace. Limited spaces available.
"Is Australia ready for Good Faith Bargaining?” “How will employers and unions respond to the Great Recession?” “What threats and opportunities are posed by the new Fair Work Act which came into play yesterday?"
The critical issue facing Australian companies is just how long will the recession last and how will companies be able to retain key skills and capabilities to take advantage of any emergent recovery. One of the more controversial aspects of the Federal Budget is the forecast of strong recovery and sustained above trend growth within three years. This poses a real dilemma for business and the government. Do employers hang on to their key people and risk even bigger cut backs later or are further cuts made now which means unemployment will be even higher than the near 1 million already indicated? Either way there are enormous pressures on business to reduce labour costs now and we are already seeing adjustments in hours and scheduled leave, pay freezes or deferral of pay rises in professional and blue collar employment alike.
What are employers and unions thinking about the new Fair Work Act?
Canberra's seminar will bring together the insights that our Director has collated from around the country. This is an invaluable event.
Managing the New Uncertainties: Strategies to respond to the Fair Work Act in the Economic Crisis
Understanding how the new Act works, complying with the new standards and procedures and whether the duty of good faith bargaining helps or hinders how industry copes with the worst recession since the 1930s are critical issues we all need to understand. Each event will bring together key business and union leaders to talk about their thinking and strategies. The final event in Canberra will collate the views from around the country for the emerging way ahead. Seminars will take place in:
Perth (16 June),
Melbourne (18 June),
Brisbane (23 June),
Sydney (26 June) and
Canberra (1 July).
17th Annual Labour Law Conference, 15th May
John Buchanan, Director, Workplace Research Centre & The Hon. Michael Kirby
WRC Response to 2009 Federal Budget
Retirement age extension – economic populism driving policy by Dr Michael Rafferty
Australians work some of the longest weekly hours in the western world. Yesterday’s budget now demands that they will spend longer in the workforce as well. This policy is being justified by the idea that there is a looming aging crisis which cannot be funded. But the idea of a looming crisis is largely a myth. It is based on single issue economic populism, which neglects the fact that the key to funding retirement is future production. Australia is already a wealthy society and is becoming more productive all the time. We should focus our attention on how that wealth can be better shared, and how to make society more productive, not penalising older people.
Contact Dr Michael Rafferty for further comments on 02 9351 5626 02 9351 5626 .
MEDIA SPOTLIGHT
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Thursday, 12 March 2009, John also appeared on ABC Lateline to discuss and explain the significance of today's job figures and unemployment. John Buchanan made a special appearance on Channel Nine’s Today Morning News on Monday, 20 April to discuss the rights of workers in the current economic situation. |
Climate Change @ Work
Thank you to those who attended the Climate Change @ Work Conference, it was a great success. The wide variety of speakers on the day were extremely passionate on the topic of Climate Change and provided a range of views on the issues. Presentations are now available on our website for purchase. Purchase papers now
HEINZ Schandl, CSIRO senior scientist, and co-author of the recent report the Growing the Green Collar Economy, believes that as many jobs will be created as will be lost if a carbon pollution reduction scheme is adopted.
Schandl, who is speaking at Climate Change @ Work Conference on the 3rd of April, projects increases in employment of 2.5 million to 3.3 million jobs over the next two decades.
The Workplace Research Centre (WRC) at University of Sydney is organising the Climate Change @ Work Conference to help businesses, government, unions, education and training institutions to identify the skills and labour challenges and opportunities that they will face in transforming and creating green collar workforces.
Opening speakers will include Greg Combet, Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change, who will give an update on the Federal Government’s policies and priorities, and Senator Christine Milne, Australian Greens, will be communicating the need for the government to set a Green Jobs target.
Peter Poschen, Senior Policy Specialist for Sustainability at the International Labour organisation (ILO) will be presenting information from the United Nations and ILO’s GreenJobs Initiative. Caroline Alcorso, NSW, Department of Education and Training, will be outlining the Government's recently released Green Skills Strategy.
Representatives from diverse companies – PwC, Fuji Xerox, Cascade Green and Polycom – will talk about how they have been meeting the requirements of the new low carbon economy. And to help conference delegates discover how they might implement changes and achieve sustainability in their own workplaces, WRC has also organised industry consultants to explain how to take action.
The Climate Change @ Work Conference is an essential forum for those who wish to transform their business via greening their workforce in these times of economic uncertainty and environmental changes. Hear leading thinkers in the field present new approaches to green education, training and job design.
Barack Obama has pledged to create 5 million new green jobs. The Federal Government’s Productivity Places Program plans to have at least 40,000 green job training opportunities by 2010. How many green jobs will you have in your workplace by 2010?
Conference Details:
Recent Reports2008 Australia at Work - Working Lives: Statistics and Stories Report
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Remaking Industrial Relations: A Unique Opportunity As the Federal Government drafts new industrial relations legislation it is clear that a unique opportunity to shape labour law is present. The Remaking Industrial Relations Forum, held on 16th June in Sydney, brought together leading Australian industrial relations and labour law researchers and policy practitioners to debate the fundamental question ‘what should an industrial relations system seek to achieve in contemporary Australia, and how can we get there?’ The Forum was based on the recent issue of the Economic and Labour Relations Review which included plenary papers from important figures in labour law who had previously led comprehensive reviews of industrial relations. The main speakers at the conference included Professors Margaret Gardner, John Niland, Keith Hancock and Fred Hilmer, as well as Murray Wilcox QC. State IR department heads also spoke about their experiences under changing IR systems. Professor Gardner noted that the current situation presented a ‘Higgins Moment’ in which ‘we can lay down a new base of a system that should serve for many decades’. While there was much debate on exactly what a new system should look like there was consensus on two key points: that the current opportunity to build a fair IR system should not be wasted and that the new IR system shouldn’t be vulnerable to the political whims of the Government of the day. |
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Happiness + Wellbeing @ Work Conference
Our inspiring speakers, who are each leaders in their respective fields, will cover a variety of topics through a number of presentations and fun and interactive workshops. |
