Understanding changes to the parental leave pay scheme as an employer

If you run a business with staff,  keeping up with compliance is one of the most important things to be on top of.

The Parental Leave Pay scheme is a significant pillar of support for families. The recent changes represent a step toward greater flexibility and inclusivity, recognising the diverse dynamics of modern families.

To ensure you stay up to date with current changes to compliance, we’re covering the recent changes to the Parental Leave Pay Scheme. If you have team members who have recently had a child or adopted a child, or you have team members who will be going through that process in the future, the details we cover below will be beneficial.

What is the parental leave pay scheme?   

The Parental Leave Pay Scheme can be a bit confusing for the uninitiated, primarily because even though it has the word ‘leave’ in the name, it’s not actually a type of leave....

Hello and welcome to Episode 180 of the People Powered Business Podcast.

In today’s episode I am sharing a previous conversation Juliet Robinson and I had on the Grow Your Influence Podcast.

Recently I have had a lot of business owners ask about leading different generations at work, and how to understand and motivate each generation.

This discussion is one Juliet and I had some time ago, probably a little over a year, but it’s still really relevant and valuable.

Stay tuned as we will have some new episodes on generational differences at work really soon.

I’d love to hear about your experiences with managing and leading different generations at work. I’d love you to join us inside our free Facebook Group, HR Support for Australian Businesses, 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

What is micromanagement at work?

Micromanagement at work refers to a management style that is typically excessive and controlling and usually exercised by a supervisor or manager. This management style focuses heavily on task-specific elements while often neglecting the bigger picture, such as overall outcomes, staff development, and collaborative teamwork.

Micromanagement can impede team efficiency and arise from several underlying factors. These factors usually encompass a lack of confidence in team members' competencies, a tendency to seek control due to apprehension or self-doubt, and a need to maintain close oversight to ensure tasks meet personal expectations.

Micromanagement frequently emerges when leaders encounter challenges in effectively delegating tasks, motivating their team, and fostering a culture of accountability. Although the motivations behind micromanagement might be rooted in aspirations for success, the approach inadvertently restricts autonomy, stifles...

Hello and welcome to Episode 179 of the People Powered Business Podcast.

Today I have an update on my intern experiment.

Back in Episode 173 I shared that I have decided to experiment with having interns in my business, and promised to share my journey with you here on the podcast.

Here’s the thing though, things haven’t exactly gone to plan, as I discuss today, these people are a little more ninja like than I expected.

In today’s episode I share what’s happened so far, why I don’t actually have an intern (yet!) and what I plan to do from here.

I’d love to hear about whether you have engaged interns before, or are considering it in the future, so I’d love you to join us inside our free Facebook Group, HR Support for Australian Businesses, 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

Building Self-Awareness for Effective Leadership: We can't change what we're not aware of

How self-aware are you as a leader?

Have you ever been in a situation where you were oblivious to a particular issue until someone brought it to your attention?

Like the moment you become aware of a stain on your shirt? Or food stuck in your teeth after a meal? Things that you weren’t aware of until someone brought it to your attention or you noticed it.

In these situations, you likely immediately took action to rectify the problem once you became aware.

In leadership, it can take us a little longer to develop this kind of awareness – and even if we are aware, the necessary action isn’t always clear.

As writer, tech executive, and philanthropist Sheryl Sandberg says, “We cannot change what we are not aware of, and once we are aware, we cannot help but change.”

In leadership, just as in life, we cannot change what we are unaware of.

Once we become aware,...

Hello and welcome to Episode 178 of the People Powered Business Podcast.

Today I have a quick compliance update for you on the recent changed to the Paid Parental Leave Scheme.

This is the Government funded payment that employees can access when they are caring for a newborn or newly adopted child. From 1 July 2023 there have been a raft of changes to this scheme, including the merging of the old 18 week parental leave payment and 2 week dad and partner pay into one 100 day or 20 week allocation, which can now be shared much more flexibly between parents.

If you’d like to connect with other business owners and leaders who are also facing the challenge of managing leave I’d love you to join us inside our free Facebook Group, HR Support for Australian Businesses, 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

Boss Guilt: What it is and how to break free as a leader            

Are you a leader who feels like you can never get on top of things?

As the boss of my own business, I know firsthand what it’s like to burn the candle at both ends – and still feel guilty that you’re not getting enough done.

The other night I was exhausted.

I’ve been working long days. Not many breaks. Balancing the fine art of family alongside the demands of my business. I kept finding myself at my desk thinking, “If I just get this one thing done”, or “I’ll just do this one more thing before I take a break.”

And I caught myself.

This way of thinking signals the slippery slope of boss guilt.

What exactly is boss guilt?

The type of boss guilt I’m talking about is that feeling that you’re lacking, that you’re not doing enough, or being enough.

This kind of boss guilt...

How frustrating is it when you have someone on your team who you know has so much potential, is actually really great at their job and everyone really likes them - but it’s like they are just going through the motions? They get the job done, but only just, they certainly don’t show initiative and you just want to shake them because you know they are capable of so much more, of doing a much better job.

You know they are smart, capable, skilled and you’re frustrated that you’re not seeing their best.

Here's what you’re dealing with when it comes to these people – it’s not that they are lazy – they simply lack motivation.

Why is that your problem you ask? Well, you know how hard it is to find great staff right? So, you don’t want to exit them and have to go through the recruitment process again. Add to that the fact that by proactively working to improve motivation you are actually improving employee engagement – and...

Hello and welcome to Episode 177 of the People Powered Business Podcast.

Recently I asked for some feedback on a question and I was really surprised by a common theme that kept popping up – that business owners feel trapped in a cycle of micromanaging their people, and aren’t sure how else to get their team to perform.

We have chatted about The Curse of Micromanagement previously in Episode 162, where we unpacked why micromanagement is bad for business, you can listen to that episode here - https://www.peoplepoweredbusiness.com.au/blog/micromanaging

But what became clear to me reading the feedback was that these business owners knew how bad micromanagement was for them, their team, and their businesses, but they weren’t sure how to get out of the cycle.

So today we’re looking at what are the alternatives? If micromanagement is just one way to manage, one leadership styles, what are the other styles and which ones could we ‘try on’ instead.

...

Hello and welcome to Episode 176 of the People Powered Business Podcast.

Today I’m bring you part 2 of my conversation with my special guest, who is here to chat to us about avoiding hiring disasters!

Deb Houston of Phlox Consulting is a Hiring Strategist and Mentor, she has been helping job-seekers and hiring managers nail their interviews and land their dream jobs and employees for more than seventeen years. 

She takes a supportive and consultative approach to recruitment, personalising the process for each and every client, whilst always making sure it’s fun along the way. For Deb, finding the right job or candidate is a lot like dating – you just have to find a match you want to commit to!

Today is the second part of my discussion Deb and I had on this topic, and today we’re discussing essential strategies to help you avoid a hiring disaster.

Want to share your hiring strategies? Join the discussion in our Facebook Group -...