by Paulette | Sep 28, 2026 | Employment Relations, Small Business HR
This is the question I get asked more than any other when things get tight. Usually on the phone, usually late in the day, usually phrased exactly like this: “Can I just drop her back to three days?” The honest answer is: sometimes yes, sometimes only with...
by Paulette | Sep 21, 2026 | Small Business HR
A Policy in a Folder Doesn’t Cut It Anymore Prepared for Paulette McCormack, Fresh HR Insights | 21 September 2026 A Policy in a Folder Doesn’t Cut It Anymore A client asked me last week whether the wellbeing policy sitting in her staff handbook was...
by Paulette | Sep 14, 2026 | HR Solutions, Small Business HR
I have had four conversations in the last fortnight that started almost the same way. Different industries, different-sized teams, same opening line: “I think I might have to let someone go.” And in every one of them, what came next was not a plan. It was...
by Paulette | Jul 24, 2026 | Employment Law, HR Compliance, HR Consultant, Small Business HR, Topics of Conversation
Long-Term Sick Leave and Return to Work: Your Questions Answered What a 2026 Fair Work decision means for small and medium businesses One of the situations we get asked about most often at Fresh HR Insights is what to do when someone has been off on long-term sick/...
by Paulette | Jul 20, 2026 | HR Expert, Small business, Small Business HR, Workplace Culture
ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE | FRESH HR INSIGHTS The Five Culture Moves I’d Make First in a Small Business And an honest word on why none of them works overnight By Paulette McCormack · Fresh HR Insights · Updated July 2026 The short answer: if you run a small...
by Paulette | Jun 25, 2026 | Payroll Compliance, Small Business HR
The 6 Things Keeping Small Business Owners Up at Night This EOFY 2026 (and How an HR Person Helps You Sleep) Can I ask you something before you dive back into the BAS? As 30 June – the EOFY 2026 – rolls around, what is the thing that is actually nagging at...
by Paulette | Jun 23, 2026 | HR Consultant, HR Expert, Informational Snip bits, Small Business HR
What AI Is (and Isn’t) Changing for Small Business Teams The short version, because you’re busy: AI is changing how work gets done faster than almost anything we’ve seen in a generation — but what your people actually want from a job has barely...
by Paulette | Jun 8, 2026 | HR Solutions, Small Business HR
AI Might Change HR – But It Won’t Replace Human Connection Written by Paulette McCormack, CAHRI — 20+ years in HR, founder of Fresh HR Insights, lecturer/Tutor inER/HR at Griffith University. Over the past year, I’ve had countless conversations with...
by Paulette | Jun 3, 2026 | Employing People, Employment Relations, HR Consultant, HR Expert, HR Solutions, Small Business HR, Workplace Bullying
Addressing Workplace Bullying: How Employers Can Prevent Claims and Build a Safe Workplace Workplace bullying remains one of the most damaging — and most preventable — issues a small business can face. The good news? Employers who put the right processes in place,...
by Paulette | May 28, 2026 | Employment Relations, HR Consultant, HR Expert, HR Solutions, Performance Management, Small Business HR
“That’s just bullying!” It’s one of the most common things we hear when an employee is unhappy about being managed. But under Australian law, there’s a clear and important line between genuine workplace bullying and a manager simply doing their job. That line is...
by admin2022 | May 25, 2026 | Employee Termination Procedure, Managing And Terminating, Small Business HR, Unfair Dismissal Claims
No Opportunity to Respond: The #1 Reason Small Businesses Lose Unfair Dismissal Claims (2026 Update) If you ask me what trips up Australian small business owners more than anything else at the Fair Work Commission, my answer is always the same — and it’s not the...
by admin2022 | May 25, 2026 | Absenteeism in Your Business, HR Expert, HR Solutions, Small business, Small Business HR, Unfair Dismissal Claims
When They Don’t Show Up: Managing Employee Absence in 2026 Your most reliable employee hasn’t turned up. No call. No text. No explanation. What do you do next? Managing employee absence – If you’ve ever sat at your desk watching the clock tick...
by Paulette | May 16, 2026 | Employment Relations, HR Consultant, HR Expert, HR Solutions, Human Resource, Informational Snip bits, Our Services, Small Business HR, Topics of Conversation
We are living through one of the more challenging economic periods in recent memory. Interest rates, housing costs, grocery bills, fuel — it’s all adding up for your employees. And while you might be feeling the pressure on your own bottom line, it’s worth...
by admin2022 | May 14, 2026 | Employing People, HR Consultant, HR Expert, HR Solutions, Human Resource, Offers and Packages, Small Business HR, workplace policies and procedures
Workplace Policies and Procedures: Why Your Small Business Can’t Afford to Wing It in 2026 (and Why ChatGPT Won’t Save You) Most small business owners don’t think about workplace policies and procedures until something goes wrong. It’s the...
by Paulette | May 4, 2026 | Small business, Small Business HR, Workplace Articles
Running a small business has never been easy — but right now, it feels heavier than usual. The pressure is real. Rising costs. Uncertain markets. Managing staff. Keeping clients happy. Trying to grow while also just trying to stay afloat. And on top of all that…...
by Paulette | May 4, 2026 | Employment Relations, HR Consultant, HR Solutions, Informational Snip bits, Small business, Small Business HR, Topics of Conversation
In today’s environment, many employees are navigating more than just the demands of their role. Rising living costs, housing uncertainty, caring responsibilities, and financial pressure are becoming part of everyday life, and they don’t switch off when someone walks...
