The Latest from Kristy-Lee

Hello and welcome to Episode 281 of the People Powered Business Podcast.

Today we’re tackling a topic which I can’t believe we haven’t discussed before in isolation on the podcast – productivity.

I’ve been having a lot of conversations recently about team productivity – and a lot of business owners seem to have busy confused with productive.

In addition there is a lot of chatter more broadly about productivity declining, ways we can improve it and why it matters.

So in this episode we will look at what productivity actually means, why it’s important to monitor it, and how you might go about measuring (and improving) productivity in your business.

If you’d like to connect with other businesses who are also juggling the challenges of teams, I’d love you to join us inside our free Facebook Group, The People Powered Community, so I can learn more about what’s working for you and any challenges you might be having.

Join Here - https://www.facebook.com/groups/hrsupportaustralia

We’ve come through a whirlwind few years in Australian Industrial Relations, with businesses grappling with some of the most extensive legislative changes since the Fair Work Act was introduced in 2009.

As the dust begins to settle, a natural question arises: are we in for another wave of change?

The short answer: yes - but not to the same extent. That’s the good news.

Still, for business owners and HR leaders, there are several important developments to watch, understand, and prepare for.

What’s Confirmed: Changes You Need to Know About

While the next few years might not bring quite the same scale of transformation, there are still several changes confirmed by the federal government. These are the things we know are happening (or are very likely to):

Minimum Wage Increases

The government is continuing its push to lift minimum wages in line with cost-of-living pressures. While annual reviews are nothing new, we can expect continued support for real wage growth. Fo...

Hello and welcome to Episode 280 of the People Powered Business Podcast.

In this episode we’re unpacking a recent Fair Work Commission decision that has seen a worker based in the Philippines being deemed to be an employee of an Australian based business, and what that means for those engaging offshore workers.

In the case, the worker, based in the Philippines, was working for a Brisbane based business. Her tasks were to work as a Paralegal. She worked from her home, and was required to work Australian hours – 8:30am to 5pm QLD time.

Her engagement was terminated by the business (because she allegedly copied company data onto a personal computer drive – an allegation she denies).

Upon termination she felt wronged and unprotected. She felt unprotected by Philippines workplace law because of how her engagement was set up, but also wasn’t sure she was covered by Australian workplace law, but because she felt like she was acting just like an employee – she would make an unfair dismissa...

As winter grips much of Australia and the new financial year kicks off, a sense of fatigue seems to settle over many workplaces.

That early-year buzz has worn off, deadlines have drained us, and the enthusiasm we once had might feel like a distant memory. If this sounds familiar, you're not alone - and more importantly, it’s entirely normal. But that doesn’t mean you have to sit in the slump. Now is the perfect moment for a reset.

The Mid-Year Slump: Why It Happens

The beginning of the year often comes with energy, clarity, and drive.

Teams return from their Christmas breaks ready to tackle new goals, strategies, and visions. Q1 feels fun, energetic, light, clear.

But then April hits. With its patchwork of Public Holidays, school breaks, and long weekends, April throws off the rhythm that you had going. By the time May and June roll around, that once-high energy is sputtering. Even if business is booming, internal motivation often dips.

Winter doesn’t help either. ...

Hello and welcome to Episode 279 of the People Powered Business Podcast.

In this episode we’re talking about workplace relations changes and what’s on the horizon.

Recently HRM Online shared an article where they interviewed the Federal Workplace Relations Minister, Amanda Rishworth, on what we can expect and what’s on the Governments agenda when it comes to Industrial Relations law changes over the next few years.

You can read the full article here: https://www.hrmonline.com.au/organisational-enablement/new-workplace-relations-minister-governments-upcoming-agenda

Today we look at what we know is changing, what we don’t yet know, and what you need to do to be prepared.

I also shared that the best way to ensure you are up to date with all the changes is to get support, which we can offer you through People Powered HR - This simple membership gives you everything you need to handle HR the right way. From compliant plug and play resources to expert answers, you’ll have the tools and ...

Amongst all the noise of the recent federal budget season the federal election cycle, the Australian Government dropped a quiet but potentially game-changing announcement for business owners: the proposed ban on non-compete clauses in employment contracts.

For many, this might seem like a subtle shift, but its implications could be significant - especially for small business owners who rely on these clauses to protect their client base, intellectual property and competitive edge.

Let’s unpack what this means, who’s impacted, and what business owners should be thinking about now.

First, What Is a Non-Compete Clause?

A non-compete clause is a section in an employment contract designed to prevent an employee from working for a competitor or starting a competing business for a certain period of time after leaving your organisation. These clauses often:

• Limit competition within a specific geographical area
• Restrict poaching of customers, staff, or suppliers
• Help protect in
...

Hello and welcome to Episode 278 of the People Powered Business Podcast.

Happy new financial year – how is the middle of the year feeling for you?

I for one am feeling tired, cold and a little bit over it all – and I’m getting the same vibes from my clients – both in terms of how they are feeling, and how their teams are feeling.

So today we’re talking about the mid year motivation slump.

We’re going to start by looking at why motivation wanes at this time of year. Then we’ll get into why it’s important to give your team a motivation boost right now and why a mid year reset is a great idea then I’m going to share 3 mid year motivation boosters that will help you and your team.

If you’d like to connect with other businesses who are also juggling the challenges of teams, I’d love you to join us inside our free Facebook Group, The People Powered Community, so I can learn more about what’s working for you and any challenges you might be having.

Join Here - https://www.facebook.com/gr...

If you've ever found yourself wondering why your team isn’t quite hitting the mark - despite being full of good people - you’re not alone.

Managing a team can sometimes feel harder than it should. Things aren’t falling apart, but there’s a constant sense of being bogged down in people problems, indecision, and micromanagement.

Here’s the truth: your team likely isn’t underperforming due to lack of skill or effort.

More often than not, what’s missing are a few foundational elements that no one ever taught us to prioritise. And your team? They won’t ask for these things, but they need them to thrive.

Let’s break down the three things every team needs from their leader (even if they don’t know how to ask).

1. Clarity

As Brene Brown says ‘clear is kind, unclear is unkind’ – it’s not just a great quote, creating clarity for your team is one of the foundations of effective leadership. And yet, most team issues can be traced back to one root cause: a lack of clear expectat...

Hello and welcome to Episode 277 of the People Powered Business Podcast.

Today we are joined by Kate Russell from The Huddle for a discussion on dealing with conflict in the workplace.

Kate is the Founder of The Huddle—a business built on deep listening, emotional safety, and the belief that conflict can be transformative, not destructive.

She’s not a lawyer, nor does she have a master’s degree in conflict resolution. Kate does have over 30 years of lived, professional experience navigating some of the most emotionally complex and high-stakes environments you can imagine—from child support and family services to workplace conflict and leadership breakdowns.

Kate has worked with people in crisis, in silence, in fury, in heartbreak—and she has walked beside them without flinching. Not to fix them. But to hear them. To reflect them. To help them find their way back to themselves and each other.

Kate created The Huddle for leaders and teams who are ready to have real conversations—the...

At the time of writing this article, the Fair Work Commission has recently handed down its decision following the Annual Minimum Wage Review process. The process involves the Commission reviewing submissions from various interested parties, including employer and employee representative groups, as well as analysing data relating to wages, such as changes to cost of living and alike.

What is The Annual Minimum Wage Review

Essentially, they are looking to ensure that the minimum wages set out in the Fair Work Act, including the National Minimum Wage, as well as al Award minimum rates of pay, is set at an appropriate level for our current economic conditions.

What Else is Changing

In addition to the National Minimum Wage and Award Rate changes, we are in still the midst of a raft of changes to Industrial Relations legislation, which applies to not only wages, but various other aspects of the employment relationship.

Keeping up with compliance obligations is one of the key pa...