Queensland is a northeastern territory of Australia known for its adherence to Human Rights and its implementation in every work sector. This enables Queensland to build a healthy work culture and promote equal opportunity in the company.
Also, it rejects discrimination and prejudices, as the companies open all kinds of employers irrespective of their background. So, if you are a new company looking to hire staff, you look down to read the legal requirements to hire staff in Queensland.
Legal Requirements to Meet While Finding Staff in Queensland
As per the Anti-Discrimination Act of 1991 and the Fair Work Act of 2009, a recruiter must follow certain procedures to ensure that employment is free of biases and prejudices.
Here are a few legal requirements you need to meet while finding staff in Queensland –
Race
Sex
Colour
Age
Sexual orientation
Physical or mental disability
Age
Marital status
Family responsibilities
Religion
Political opinion
Social Origin
National extraction
Pregnancy
The recruitment policy of any company should be fair and allow all people to apply for the position. That way, you can change the work culture and create a more diverse workforce.
Therefore, the recruiter has to ensure the process –
Attracts a large number of diverse workers to apply for the position
Develop and create job advertisements by keeping all the candidates in mind
Arrange interviews in suitable locations for every candidate. You can also accommodate an allowance for candidates to appear for the interview.
Only ask questions related to the job role
Keep your personal grudges and prejudices aside while selecting candidates.
Give fair treatment to all applicants
Use a fair recruitment process to give an equal chance to all candidates
Follow the Fair Work Act to ensure everyone is involved in the recruitment process.
Responsibility of Employers
Here are a few responsibilities employers have to follow while selecting an employee –
Equal Opportunity
It is important for any employer to provide equal opportunity to all people to apply for the position. As per the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991, every employer should have equal opportunity for everyone to contest the job opening, regardless of industry. This will make the workplace healthy and set the right tone for other candidates to follow.
Moreover, discrimination can lead to severe loss, cost business time and money and reduce its functional capability to be highly productive. Therefore, hiring people with the right qualities and qualifications for the position is essential. That way, you can increase the profit margins of your company and keep it competent for the adversities to come. So, keep your biases and prejudices while selecting a person for your company.
No Discrimination and Harassment
As per the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991, employers should build a workplace free of discrimination and harassment. The company’s legal responsibility is to provide a safe and secure workspace for every worker. The act further ensures that no workers get discriminated against or harassed in the workplace. Otherwise, the company has to take legal action against the person who committed the offence.
Also, the act gives employees the power to take legal action if they are discriminated against. This will lower the company’s image in the industry and put it in a pool of legal trouble. Therefore, employers should ensure a safe space for all employees to work properly and minimise discrimination to set the right work culture. That way, you can work towards common goals and become a success in the industry.
Recruitment and Termination
The Anti-Discrimination Act of 1991 assures employers that they will hire and dismiss candidates based on proper procedures. An employer cannot dismiss a candidate based on prejudices and biases. They have heavy legal trouble from the Queensland courts.
Furthermore, when you hire employees, you should ensure –
Employment contracts: An employee contract that includes the job title and the terms and conditions to follow. It should also include salary, working time, and leaves.
Employee onboarding: While onboarding employees, you should help them understand their roles and responsibilities, provide them with the necessary tools and resources to work with, and help them learn about the business. Lastly, all employment-related documents must be provided to the employee.
All of these will ensure that recruitment is done in the correct order. You can also conduct a background check of employees using a nationally coordinated criminal history check.
Create Flexible Workplace
Every employer needs to create a flexible and diverse workspace that enables everyone to work side-by-side. This rejects any form of prejudice that can affect the workplace. Consequently, it tells employers to showcase empathy towards employees and create flexible work arrangements.
The reasons include –
To pursue higher studies
Transition to retire
Taking part in recreational and sports activities
Taking care of children or ageing relatives
Focus on mental health and well-being
Moreover, you should create an age-friendly workplace where the concept of “too old” does not exist. Retirement is a personal choice. Hence, leaving it to the employees to decide for themselves is better. Consequently, as an employer, your job is to create a cohesive workspace where everyone communicates and collaborates. That’s how you can set the right tone for the future.
Pay Attention to Mental Health
In the end, it is important for employers to give importance to employee’s mental health. The subject has become essential since the pandemic. That’s why, as an employer, you should provide adequate help and assistance to employees to maintain a healthy workplace. For this, you can provide counselling sessions to employees or give them adequate leave to avoid burnout.
Besides all these, as an employer, you need to have empathy to understand employees and their talents and, based on that, give them opportunities to grow within the company. For more information, you read the content and set the terms and policies, while recruiting new candidates.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions –
What is the duty of care for an employer in Qld?
The primary duty of an employer is to provide employees with safe and healthy workspace.
What policies should a company have in QLD?’
Here are a few policies every company in QLD should follow –
Appropriate Workplace Conduct Policy
Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) Policy
Anti-Discrimination Policy