The Latest from Kristy-Lee

Employment contracts should protect your business, not put it at risk. But for many employers using set-off clauses, recent legal developments suggest you could be walking a fine line without even realising it.

If your contracts include a clause that bundles award entitlements like overtime, allowances and penalties into one neat annual salary, you might want to take a closer look.

It’s a practice that’s been common for years, but now there’s fresh concern that many of these clauses aren’t worth the paper they’re written on.

Let’s unpack what set-off clauses are, why they’re popular, and what recent court rulings have changed about how they should be used in practice.

What Is a Set-Off Clause?

A set-off clause is a provision in an employment contract that allows an employer to pay a single annual salary that covers more than just the base wage. It’s used to offset things like:

• Overtime
• Penalty rates
• Allowances
• Loadings

In theory, the clause allows you to si...

Every year, like clockwork, a wave of resignations rolls in during January.

Staff return from the summer break with fresh perspective, a bit of distance, and sometimes a decision that it’s time to move on. It can feel like a blindsiding moment, but the truth is these resignations usually started brewing months earlier.

The good news? There’s a lot you can do right now to reduce the risk of losing great people in the new year. And it doesn’t require a huge investment or elaborate retention strategy. In fact, most of the best actions are simple, practical, and free.

Let’s unpack what’s really going on in January, what signs to watch for, and what steps to take today to hold onto your top talent tomorrow.

Why January is Resignation Season

There’s something about a new year that naturally prompts reflection. People are stepping out of their usual routine, spending time with family and friends, and asking themselves the big questions. Do I want another year like the last on...

Why does the final stretch of the year feel more like we are crawling to the finish line than a festive, celebratory wind down?

Business owners, managers, and employees alike are all feeling the weight of the year that was. Stress is mounting, tempers are flaring, and burnout is rearing its head in ways that feel more acute than ever before. As I’ve had more than one person tell me lately, people are a bit ‘tetchy’ at the moment … maybe you can relate?

This isn’t just a passing mood. It’s what many are calling the “Q4 crash” that very real, end-of-year slump that hits hard as the calendar edges towards December.

But why does it happen, and more importantly, how can you navigate it?

Why Q4 Hits So Hard

Every year has its natural rhythm, and Q4, from October through December, is always a challenge.

It’s a time when businesses are rushing to finish the year strong, personal responsibilities stack up with school events and holidays, and the cumulative pressure of the p...

DIY is a bit of a badge of honour for small business owners.

We patch up websites, design our own marketing, handle bookkeeping, and tackle team management with the same can-do spirit. There’s a certain satisfaction in figuring it out ourselves - until that approach quietly starts to backfire.

When it comes to HR, doing it yourself feels resourceful. Responsible. Even empowering. But what if DIY HR is actually keeping you stuck? What if, despite your best intentions, it’s holding back your team, stalling your business growth, and draining your energy?

Here’s a fresh take on why managing HR yourself might not be the best strategy anymore—and what to do instead.

DIY Isn’t Winging It

Let’s be clear: DIY HR isn’t the same as winging it. When you’re DIYing something, you’re usually making a genuine effort. You’re reading Fair Work articles, researching awards, downloading templates, and doing your best to get it right. And you’re likely doing it because:

• You want control
...

AI has well and truly made its way into our lives - at home, in business, in school (according to my teens….) and everything in between.

Whether you're using it to brainstorm ideas, shortcut admin tasks, or (let’s be honest) figure out what to cook for dinner, artificial intelligence is changing the way we work.

But here’s the thing: while AI tools like ChatGPT can be powerful and downright fabulous, they also bring a new set of challenges for business owners.

From privacy concerns to reluctant team members and questionable content quality, the use of AI in the workplace is something that needs real thought.

So, how do you actually manage AI use across your team, keep things ethical and efficient, and avoid heading into the wild west of automation chaos? Let’s unpack it.

AI Is Everywhere (Whether You Like It or Not)

If you’re not using AI in your business yet, chances are your team is, or your competitors definitely are.

From writing job ads and internal comms ...

Let’s face it, HR in small business can feel like an absolute mess.

One day, you’re celebrating a win with your team, the next, you’re buried under questions, conflicts, or compliance confusion. If it feels like you’re micromanaging, juggling too much, or constantly putting out fires, you’re not alone.

The chaos often leaves small business owners wondering what they are doing wrong, and in that moment of overwhelm, the shiny promise of HR software feels like a lifeline.

But here’s the truth: software is not the solution. It’s a distraction.

What small business really needs isn’t another subscription - it’s structure. And building that structure is a whole lot easier than you might think.

Why HR Feels So Hard

If you feel like your HR is messy, you're not imagining things. It often is messy in small business, especially in those growth phases where you're adding team members but haven't put formal systems in place.

There’s a good chance you’ve tried to do the rig...

Every business owner has been there.

Juggling a hundred things at once, making Canva graphics at midnight, manually reconciling accounts, and frantically Googling how to deal with a tricky staff situation. Winging it is a survival skill that comes with the territory of being a business owner.

When it comes to HR, “figuring it out as you go” feels easy and cost-effective in the short term. But the longer you fly by the seat of your pants, the more expensive the fallout becomes.

Not just financially, but mentally, emotionally, and in lost opportunities for business growth.

Let’s unpack why “winging it” with your HR will always cost you more, and what you can do instead.

Why Winging It Feels Right (At First)

There’s something oddly empowering about being a business owner who wears all the hats. In the early stages, you’ve got a tiny team, maybe even just one or two people, and everything feels manageable. Writing policies? Meh. Performance management? Not needed. Hiring? Easy eno...

When it comes to running a business, especially one that’s growing, there’s always a temptation to solve problems with shiny new software.

HR is no exception.

If you’ve ever Googled “how to manage HR better,” you’ve likely been flooded with ads for platforms promising to automate your HR, solve compliance, and organise your team all in one neat dashboard.

Sounds perfect, right? Well, not so fast.

Before you sign up for that new subscription or sit through another slick demo, it’s worth asking: Do you really need another HR system? Or are you just not using what you already have?

Let’s take a step back and explore how to get more out of your existing tools before you commit to adding yet another system to your tech stack.

The Real Problem Isn’t Always the System

Most small to medium businesses don’t need a complicated HR platform. What they do need is a better understanding of how to use their current systems more effectively.

The mistake many business owner...

This is one of the topics I most often get asked about.

I see business owners, leaders and managers struggling with this one all the time: tackling difficult conversations with staff. Usually this comes after a period of avoiding that difficult conversation which is what we’re going to spend a bit of time today looking at in depth.

We Are Conflict Avoiders

If you’re anything like me, conflict is not something you run headfirst toward with arms wide open to embrace - that’s exactly why tough conversations are hard.

That dreaded feeling in the pit of your stomach, sleepless nights, anxiety, avoiding the staff member and putting off THAT conversation, if not avoiding it entirely.

You are absolutely not alone.

It’s a Skill We Can All Learn

Even with my experience, I don’t like having these conversations either. I never have, and while I’m definitely better at tackling these tough conversations, it doesn’t mean I like it any more than I did before - I just developed the skil...

When the spotlight is shone on employee rights, which it certainly has been recently, especially around workplace flexibility and boundaries…it’s easy to forget there’s another side to the coin: the employers themselves.

With Australia's right to disconnect laws now expanded to include small businesses, it’s time to ask a critical question. Do business owners have the right to disconnect too?

The Law Says Maybe, But That’s Not the Whole Story

As of August 26, 2025, Australia's Fair Work legislation extends the right to disconnect to small businesses. In essence, employees now have the legal right to ignore after hours contact that’s deemed unreasonable. But what does this mean if you're the one who owns the business?

If you're technically an employee of your own company, drawing a wage, on the books, then yes, you may fall under the protection of this law. However, let’s be honest: most business owners won’t be suing themselves over a late night email or answering a call at 9 PM...