HR Leader Podcast Network

In the inaugural episode of The Legal Brief, produced in partnership with national workplace law firm Kingston Reid, host Jerome Dorasaimy speaks with Kingston Reid Partner Christa Lenard to unpack this recent landmark decision from the Federal Court, which has reshaped a practice many employers across Australia have relied upon for decades – using contractual remuneration set-off clauses to balance out overpayments in one pay period against shortfalls in another. Lenard also delves into the regulatory complexities and scrutiny post-judgment, what employers need to be on top of and the extent to which employers are looking to respond to the judgment's findings.. Whether you're responsible for payroll, compliance, or broader workforce strategy, this episode delivers essential insights for HR professionals on how remuneration set-off clauses have been narrowed in the wake of this major decision, as well as practical steps organisations must take to ensure their remuneration, record-keeping, and payroll practices remain compliant, and the role of HR moving forward. To learn more about Kingston Reid, click here.

If HR professionals are to meaningfully enable and drive innovation and strategic growth, they cannot sit around and wait for the opportunity. HR must demonstrate that it offers more than just processes and performance improvement plans and that it can drive commercial outcomes. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with bolttech group chief people officer Scott Austin about having worked in HR across jurisdictions and in different sectors, why he finds the work so interesting, the headline challenges HR teams are facing amid voluminous market change, setting HR up to leverage its strengths, shifting how HR is perceived, and why HR professionals cannot wait for permission to drive needed business changes. Austin also delves into how he has been proactive, rather than reactive, about driving innovation and growth, why the onus is on HR to take the initiative, the nuances of fintech and insurtech that he's had to adapt to, overcoming roadblocks to HR's driving of change, being data-driven, why HR is transferable across any sector, and his predictions for the market moving forward.

In the age of AI, concerns remain that artificial intelligence is coming at the cost of genuine human interaction. Against this backdrop, it is incumbent upon HR teams and professionals to ensure that AI is both an enabler of business success and helps prevent the acceleration of disconnection or disenchantment in the workplace. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back Cranlana Centre for Ethical Leadership ethicist and program director Dr Matt Beard to discuss the myriad ethical dilemmas and considerations in the workplace in the current climate, whether AI is accelerating concerns that human relationships are being sidelined in the post-pandemic world, whether businesses are cognisant of such concerns, and what he sees as the biggest challenges for ethics and culture in the workplace right now. Beard also delves into the extent to which "scut work" needs to be done versus pivoting one's service offering for clients, how HR can view its responsibilities to ensure that workplace culture is at an optimal level and human relationships aren't suffering, how technology can be an enabler of workplace connection, and how optimistic he is that HR teams can drive forward their workplaces in the right ways.

Financial stress continues to put downward pressure on workplace productivity. As a result – and in the face of broader market challenges – ensuring financial wellbeing must be a key priority for the HR function at this critical juncture. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with MoneyGPS co-founder and chief executive George Haramis and Howden head of employee benefits Chris Sinclair and their respective businesses and partnership, the urgency of addressing financial wellbeing in the current climate, the issues employees are facing on the ground, and how workers across generations are facing unique financial challenges. Haramis and Sinclair also delve into the need for employers to take a holistic approach to financial wellbeing, what HR teams need to be asking, the solutions that can and should be implemented to drive measurable impacts, practical strategies their businesses are implementing and offer to clients, and what they're both looking forward to when it comes to improving financial wellbeing for the market.

According to this chief people officer, it is "such an exciting time" to be in HR, given the opportunities to collaborate and consult, and be authentic and approachable, when driving business reform that is fit for purpose in the current climate. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Hoyts Group chief people officer Jodi Paton about her background in sports psychology, having witnessed the highs and lows over the last decade for staff, whether it's even been more difficult to oversee the HR function, the need for new approaches to driving business reform, and reframing her own perceptions about successful implementation of reform. Paton also delves into the need for proactivity in driving reform, having a bottom-up approach whereby collaboration and communication are embedded, assuming responsibility for managing a younger workforce, how she measures success in implementing reform, her guidance to other HR leaders about successful reform projects, and what excites her about HR work moving forward.

In the current climate, catering to the idiosyncratic needs and perceptions of all staff across generations – and ensuring they feel safe and included – is an ever-present challenge for HR. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Konica Minolta Australia head of people and culture Gabrielle Stevens about her personal and professional investment in helping people, whether it's getting easier or harder for businesses to help workers feel safe and included, what constitutes a safe and inclusive workplace, and creating a foundation of trust in the post-pandemic world. Stevens also discusses her team's journey, what they have implemented, the importance of getting onboarding right, catering to individual needs and across generational differences, what has worked and not worked within her workplace, the investment of time required from HR, and how this journey has shaped her ongoing view of the importance of the role of HR.

In an age where employees are increasingly demanding a sense of purpose and belonging in the workplace, it is incumbent upon businesses and their HR teams to ensure that all staff feel seen and heard. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Insight people and culture director in APAC, Elyse Philippi, about how she always wanted to be in a job where she could help people, whether it's getting easier or harder for HR to make meaningful workplace change, why personalising the employee journey is so essential, why employees currently want more from the workplace, and catering to a workforce with more generations than ever before. Philippi also discusses the questions that HR needs to ask in getting started on personalising the employee journey at scale, challenges to be overcome, what she and her team have successfully implemented at Insight, and the role of AI and other emerging technologies, how such a journey has reinforced her perception of the role of HR, highlighting the human element of such work, and what lessons she's learnt in personalisation at scale of the employee experience.

Amid myriad professional, technological, economic, and sociocultural changes, it is essential that HR professionals face such shifting sands with an open mind, which will allow, one chief people and culture officer says, for greater creativity, collaboration, and innovation. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Sydney Children's Hospitals Foundation chief people and culture officer Mariam Hares about her journey in the profession, what her day-to-day in the not-for-profit looks like, the challenges and opportunities she's seeing on the horizon for HR professionals and teams, and how well HR is doing, as a business unit, in adapting to change. Hares also delves into bringing all business units along for the ride in adapting to change, the questions that HR needs to answer in the talent space, leaning into automation, getting incentives right, creating a strategy to address the many workforce challenges, and her best practice guidance to other HR professionals in the face of voluminous market change.

Moral injury is a term that came about in the 1990s, but in years to come, such workplace hazards could well be among the more prominent concerns for employers to address. Here, a leading researcher explains why. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraismy speaks with Associate Professor Wendy Bonython, the associate dean of learning and teaching in the faculty of law at Bond University, to discuss her research work, what is meant by the term "moral injury", and how and why it's becoming a more prominent concern in workplaces across the country. Associate Professor Bonython also delves into whether moral injuries will be among the most prominent workplace concerns in years to come, recent research she has conducted in this space and the headline findings, how moral injuries provide answers to questions we couldn't previously categorise, the impact of moral injuries on productivity, and the steps that employers need to take to prevent such injuries from impacting workers.

The unlawful termination of journalist Antoinette Lattouf by the national broadcaster, which resulted in high-profile proceedings in the Federal Court, has shone a spotlight on workplace policies for social media use by employees, and the need for such frameworks to be fit for purpose. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with McCabes principal Melini Pillay about her journey from being a prosecutor to representing defendants in employment and safety matters, how her background in criminal law offers perspective for her current work, the difficulties of managing five generations in the workforce for businesses, and what happened in the Lattouf v ABC proceedings. Pillay also discusses: What the court found and the employment law implications moving forward from these proceedings. The difficulties inherent with striking the right balance with a social media policy. What might constitute bringing one's employer into disrepute and the questions that employers should be asking as a starting point. Why policies need to appreciate the prevalence of and place for social media in the modern landscape. Practical steps to take in ensuring the right balance is struck when revamping workplace policies.

While workplace jealousy has always existed in various forms, the trend of "downward envy" – that is, leaders feeling envious of their employees, for myriad reasons – is a relatively new phenomenon, and one that can have deleterious impacts upon staff. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Monash Business School PhD candidate Sabreen Kaur about her research into the phenomenon of downward envy, what it is and how it has come about, how the introduction of more generations into the workforce has exacerbated this trend, and how such envy can manifest. Kaur also delves into the reasons why leaders may be envious of their staff members, the potential for short-sightedness from managers, why businesses and organisations suffer as a result of managers feeling envious, what employers need to do about it, and how optimistic she is that Australian workplaces can overcome this growing trend.

Late last year, the chief people officer for Gilchrist Connell was announced as the national law firm's new chief executive – a role she assumed in July. Here, she reflects on her vocational experience and details how coming from an HR background and wearing "many, many hats" lends well to leading a large legal practice. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Gilchrist Connell chief executive Belinda Cohen about her career prior to joining the law firm five years ago, the work she did as CPO, balancing the proactive and reactive as an HR professional, and how she came to be the firm's CEO. Cohen also discusses the firm's vision as set out by her predecessor, Richard Wood, and how her HR background will assist in furthering that vision, how and why HR professionals are well placed to step into such senior leadership roles, how HR professionals can create such vocational pipelines for themselves, and what excites her moving forward.

A recent Fair Work decision noted that a primary carer doesn't have to be the sole carer in order to receive primary carer parental leave. Here, a senior lawyer unpacks the decision and what it means for employers and lawyers moving forward. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Meredith Kennedy, a special counsel at national law firm Maddocks, about her work in the firm's employment, safety, and people practice, the case of Metro Tasmania Pty Ltd v Australian Rail, Tram and Bus Industry Union (including what happened at first instance and then in front of the full bench of the Fair Work Commission), how "primary carer" was defined in the proceedings and relevant enterprise agreement, and how and why the FWC full bench reached its conclusions. Kennedy also delves into why this matter is so significant, the takeaways for employers nationwide, the need to ensure that workplace policies and frameworks account for all circumstances, overcoming collective biases, riding the wave of sociocultural shifts, best practice for lawyers in this space, and what else such lawyers need to be looking out for.

Here, we explore the need for business leaders and workplaces to "earn the commute" of their staff members returning to the office, including by way of imbibing a common purpose of the broader approach. Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Canon Oceania director of people and finance David Field about his remit at Canon, how he has found the transition from technical legal specialist to having a bigger picture focus on business, whether businesses are getting it right in bringing staff back to the office, and navigating the disconnect that may exist between generations in the workforce. Field also discusses the questions that businesses need to be asking of themselves when wanting to bring staff back into the office, how he and Canon have looked to answer those questions, the place for trial and error, fostering team collegiality, strengthening common purpose through team building and community involvement, working for the greater good, and the steps that must be taken.

Here, a senior HR adviser reveals the non-negotiables driving Australian candidates, why outdated recruitment tactics backfire, and how to fix hiring in a market where flexibility and respect reign supreme. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Kace O'Neill speaks with Gartner's senior HR principal, Jasleen Kaur, about why Australian talent prioritises work/life balance over pay, how outdated recruitment tactics drive candidate "ghosting", and why transparency is key to fixing broken hiring processes. Kaur also delves into whether employers misunderstand flexibility as a trust issue, how HR can shift from "selling roles" to coaching candidates, what data-driven strategies recruiters must use to challenge unrealistic hiring managers, and why job descriptions sabotage talent attraction. She further explores whether DEI's future lies in process-led inclusion (not performative training), how businesses can pre-empt HR/hiring manager breakdowns, what policy shifts prevent "buyer's regret", and whether personal growth and micro-cultures will redefine Australia's talent landscape.

Almost all Australians know someone who has been diagnosed with cancer or will have been diagnosed themselves. However, our workforce has a long way to go when it comes to having open, supportive conversations about workers who fall ill. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Publicis Groupe chief talent officer in APAC and ANZ, Pauly Grant, about her journey to an executive role, her vision for optimal workplace culture, how and why cancer remains stigmatised in the workplace, what it looks like, whether cancer is getting lost in the shuffle given discussions about other ailments, and what it all means for the employee experience. Grant also delves into whether self-stigma is a factor, whether Australian businesses are doing well at having conversations about cancer, how HR teams can act, the practical steps that business leaders must take, the workplace policy shifts that can be made, and whether she is optimistic that our workforces can move towards destigmatisation.

For many businesses, employing fractional professionals – who are highly committed and engaged – to lead can be the way for those entities to deal with the myriad market challenges they face. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy sits down with The CFO Centre group chief executive Sara Daw to discuss her professional journey and embrace of greater flexibility and variety for professionals, why businesses might see engaging fractional professionals for leadership roles as a good thing, and why fractional leadership is a growing trend. Daw also delves into how businesses are responding to changing leadership models and structures, navigating the challenges that might come from such organisational changes, how the role of HR needs to evolve in conjunction with the rise of fractional leadership, the need to adapt to a changing world, and what HR needs to do to ensure the workplace environment is fit for purpose.

In an age of information overload, bringing things back to basics and ensuring workforces are getting the fundamentals right is essential to ensuring healthy, happy and productive staff. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Rodney Cottam and Chris Paterson from Run Rocket Run about their journeys in the corporate, armed services, and professional sporting worlds, what resilience means to them, why resilience is more essential than ever in workplaces right now, and what workers are most crying out for from their employers. Cottam and Paterson also delve into the importance of being able to bring one's best self to work, being able to separate one's self from the office, whether Australian workplaces are headed in the right direction, Run Rocket Run's unique coaching approaches, bringing things back to basics, and applying basic principles to learning and development.

What did this HR partner do when she walked into her first defence event in her early 20s, wearing a bright pink suit, and realised she was the only woman in the room? In this special episode of The HR Leader Podcast, produced by our sister brand, Defence Connect, we explore this question and much more. In the premiere episode of The Progress Report, produced by HR Leader's sister brand, Defence Connect, host Natasha Taylor sits down with Olivia Agate – president of Women's Defence Connection and HR partner at Navantia – to unpack what it really takes to show up, speak up, and stand tall in a still male-dominated industry. From rainbow dresses at 6am breakfasts to the quiet power of allyship, Agate and Taylor trade stories of impostor syndrome, backing yourself (and each other), and how simply saying yes can change the entire trajectory of your career.

Former CEO of an AFL side turned ethical leadership expert Matt Finnis unpacks the habits of inclusive workplaces, strategies for navigating polarising debates, and why transparency is non-negotiable in 2025. Formerly CEO of St Kilda Football Club and corporate lawyer and now CEO at Cranlana Centre for Ethical Leadership, Matt Finnis spoke to HR Leader journalist Kace O'Neill to discuss key themes around ethical leadership, transparency, and disagreement. Finnis argues that modern inclusion isn't about erasing discomfort but embracing pluralism. As workplaces become "melting pots of humanity", leaders must move beyond correcting historical wrongs to actively welcoming conflicting values – transforming tension into growth. From the Israel Folau controversy to modern-day conflict debates, Finnis reveals how organisations can rehearse for inclusion crises. His antidote? Proactive scenario training, purpose-driven dialogue, and empowering employees to shape culture – before headlines force reactive decisions. With whistleblowing fears lingering, Finnis stresses that ethical followership hinges on leaders modelling vulnerability. He shares hard-won lessons from the AFL trenches: closing feedback loops, rewarding uncomfortable truths, and why owning mistakes builds more trust than flawless execution ever could.

The fierce debate over flexible work arrangements shows no signs of slowing down, thrust into the spotlight by the recent Australian federal election and high-profile corporate mandates. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, Host Kace O'Neill sits down with Neal Woolrich, director in Gartner's HR Advisory team, to navigate the complex terrain of post-pandemic work. Woolrich, drawing on his unique background spanning journalism, tax advisory, and nearly a decade at Gartner, issues a stark warning: the push for rigid five-day office returns is fraught with significant talent and business risks, potentially crippling engagement and productivity. Woolrich cautions that enforcing strict return-to-office (RTO) mandates can backfire spectacularly. Employees, he argues, quickly see through hollow justifications linking office presence directly to productivity or culture. The real key, he emphasises, isn't location but fostering a collaborative team environment. Beyond the RTO tug of war, Woolrich identifies critical missed opportunities, particularly the persistent reluctance to embrace proven flexible models like the four-day work week – despite compelling productivity data and employee demand. He attributes this stagnation partly to an "old-school mindset" prevalent among senior leaders, even as C-suite turnover rises potentially due to inflexibility. Looking ahead, Woolrich predicts hybrid work patterns in Australia will stabilise around 50 per cent, urging HR to champion human-centric design, ensure consistent policy application (especially as one in three organisations lack RTO compliance mechanisms), and build coalitions of progressive leaders to drive meaningful change.

The NSW government's proposed overhaul of the workers' compensation scheme has ignited fierce debate. In this recent episode of the HR Leader Podcast, host Kace O'Neill sits down with Chantille Khoury, partner and practice group leader for workers' compensation at Law Partners, to dissect the draft reforms and their potentially seismic impact. Khoury details how the reforms would devastate support for psychological injuries, revealing a statistic about the proposed 31 per cent whole-person impairment (WPI). Khoury addresses the narrow injury definitions excluding burnout/work pressure, claiming that these changes abandon vulnerable workers while ignoring root causes. Beyond statistics, Khoury warns of reforms exacerbating mental health crises: drawn-out processes, surveillance paranoia, and inaccessible legal hurdles could deepen trauma. While acknowledging system sustainability concerns, she proposes alternatives. The episode closes with a stark question: Will NSW fix the scheme or sacrifice worker welfare in the rush? At the time of this episode's recording, a key policy proposal put forward by the NSW government, which included workers having to obtain court verification from the IRC when seeking compensation for bullying, racial abuse, or sexual harassment, has since been removed.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, working life has changed significantly. Now, research is starting to identify certain professional and environmental trends that businesses need to be on top of. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by the founding board director of R U OK?, Graeme Cowan, to discuss why uncertainty is so prevalent in workplaces in the current climate, why the proliferation of remote and flexible working is a worrying development, the varying levels of trust in the workforce and why it is damaging, a decline in employee engagement and the consequences of not paying attention to that lack of engagement, and the ongoing wellbeing and mental health crisis. Cowan also delves into the broader business considerations inherent with addressing wellbeing concerns, why the wellbeing focus isn't working, how and why more managers want out of their workplaces, how business leaders can better support managers, why change leadership needs to improve, and the decline of respect in the workplace.

In this special episode of The HR Leader Podcast, we showcase one of the headline speakers for the upcoming Bold Ideas in HR event, Taylor Dee Hawkins, about the moral and commercial imperatives to best practice with management of a workforce that is more diverse than ever before and the benefits that come with it. Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Taylor Dee Hawkins, the Foundations for Tomorrow managing director, about the work that she does, the extent to which business leaders are ready and able to lead so many different generations in the workforce, leaders' cognisance of the need to do so, the dangers in not properly managing workers of all ages, the questions that businesses need to ask of themselves, and the practical steps to be taken. To learn more about Bold Ideas in HR, click here.

In this special episode of The HR Leader Podcast, we showcase one of the headline speakers for the upcoming Bold Ideas in HR event, Kylie Fuller, about whether diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) remains good business or rightly under the microscope. Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Kylie Fuller, the managing director of Fuller Potential, about her work, why it is important to take stock of where we're at with DEI practices in the workplace, why it is necessary to ensure that DEI remains fit for purpose, whether Australia is an inflection point for DEI (like in the US), and whether she is optimistic that we can have productive conversations about the way forward. To learn more about Bold Ideas in HR, click here.

In this special episode of The HR Leader Podcast, we showcase one of the headline speakers for the upcoming Bold Ideas in HR event, Steve Glaveski, about whether Elon Musk was right to fire four in five Twitter (now X) employees. Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Glaveski, the CEO and co-founder of Collective Campus, about his corporate innovation consultancy and start-up accelerator and why he does this work, why it's important to explore whether or not Elon Musk should have fired so many Twitter employees, why HR managers and C-suite professionals need to be examining whether such an approach is necessary for their businesses, why inaction is not an option in the current climate, and whether he is optimistic that Australian business leaders can draw the right lessons from Musk's Twitter experience. To learn more about Bold Ideas in HR, click here.

In the current climate, businesses are seeing less need for middle managers – this is not only concerning for those professionals but also detrimental to long-term business health. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with BoldHR founder Rebecca Houghton about the work she does and why it's meaningful, the emergence of the Great Flattening, its implications for the workforce, the outsized impact that middle managers have, why businesses misunderstand the impact that middle managers have, and moving past inaccurate perceptions. Houghton also delves into how Australian businesses are reacting to this trend, being perceived as fiscal bloat, how lower-level employees are exacerbating this trend, what we've learnt from previous instances of this workplace trend, the consequences of the current iteration of the trend, and the questions and practical steps that businesses need to ask and implement respectively.

In the face of voluminous market and cultural change, the ways in which recruiters and hiring managers operate need to evolve, one professional argues. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with TRC chief executive Geoff Millar about his background in recruitment, why it's been a meaningful career path, the peaks and troughs he's seen in the recruitment space, what the current careers landscape looks like, why recruiters need to re-evaluate the ways they do things, and whether approaches with businesses are becoming outdated. Millar also discusses the dangers of falling behind on new-age thinking, questions to ask of a business in order to improve approaches to recruitment, practical steps to be taken, and what is exciting about such change for hiring managers and recruiters.

Here, a leading employment and labour lawyer reflects on what we've learnt in the last year and a half from the Secure Jobs, Better Pay legislative changes and what it all means for the market moving forward. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Norton Rose Fulbright partner Alexandra Shields about her work in employment and labour law, the "human element" of such legal practice, what the recent Secure Jobs, Better Pay amendments are and why they were introduced, the key takeaways from the last 12 to 18 months following the passage of the amendments, and the issues and challenges that have arisen. Shields also delves into how best to respond to those issues and challenges, the more encouraging developments from the last 12 to 18 months, whether developments in the market can be attributed to the amended legislation, why changing the employment and labour market is a longer-term project, going by the "vibes", how employers should respond to the current climate, considering their reputations, and what is best practice for lawyers in this space moving forward.

With political polarisation on the rise worldwide and with Australia's federal election less than a fortnight away, it is fundamental that business leaders find ways to ensure greater connectivity and collegiality for their workforces. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Adelaide-based Moira Were, the mayor of the City of Onkaparinga, co-founder of Collab4good and co-founder of Chooks SA, about her varied work, whether political polarisation at work has gotten worse, the issues and consequences that arise from such workplace tension, and how difficult it might be for HR teams to navigate such matters. Were also delves into the practical steps that business leaders and HR teams must take to mitigate political polarisation, the need to avoid toxic discourse among staff, striking the right balance with healthy debate and allowing individuals to be themselves, and how teams can ensure civil conversations ahead of next week's federal election.

Here, we discuss SuperFriend's recently released Indicators of a Thriving Workplace Key Insights report, what it says about the state of affairs in the Australian workforce, and what constitutes best practice moving forward. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with SuperFriend chief mental health adviser Dr Natalie Flatt about the recently released Indicators of a Thriving Workplace Key Insights report, the key takeaways and findings from that report, how much work is still required to ensure that workplaces of all stripes can thrive, and the confusion that business leaders may feel in determining the best path forward. Flatt also discusses the cause of such confusion, tailoring a business's strategic approach, rethinking leadership and management tactics, other practical steps that must be taken, and leaning into the framework detailed by SuperFriend.

In Labor's pre-election budget, Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced a ban on non-compete clauses for workers earning less than $175,000. Here, we unpack implications for businesses, workers, and the political climate, as well as the consequences not only for employment law but also for M&As and litigation. In this episode of The HR Leader Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks to employment law partner Fay Calderone, from national law firm Hall & Wilcox, to discuss the announced ban on non-compete clauses for non-high-income workers in the 2025 budget, the response from businesses and employment lawyers, and the likely consequences for the M&A market and litigious climate. Calderone also delves into the divide between political impressions of this announcement versus the business reality, striking the right balance between employee freedom and business protections, who employment lawyers will have to collaborate with moving forward, what constitutes best practice for lawyers looking ahead, and her broad guidance to businesses in the wake of the announced ban.

In this special episode of The HR Leader Podcast, produced in partnership with Avature, we unpack the revolutionary impact of artificial intelligence on the daily operations of human resources teams and how such professionals can and should take advantage. Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Avature founder and chief executive officer Dimitri Boylan about the volume of change he has witnessed in the market in recent decades, how disruptive and transformative AI will be relative to past technological shifts such as the "dot-com boom" and the lessons to be gleaned, how HR teams can leverage it to address their unique challenges and tips for navigating setbacks when integrating AI. Boylan also delves into "being on the leading edge versus the bleeding edge", keeping pace with rapid advancements, ticking the right boxes when triaging urgent priorities, what's working and not working out in the market, the regulatory state of affairs, and the questions HR needs to ask of itself at this critical juncture. To learn more about Avature, click here.

When it comes to creating thriving workplaces, a more idiosyncratic approach to gendered needs may well be what businesses have long been missing. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Dr Michelle McQuaid, an honorary fellow at Melbourne University's Centre for Wellbeing Science, about the importance of speaking about gender in the workplace in non-traditional ways, why it is so difficult to have such conversations in the current climate, her two components to best practice when it comes to gender equality at work, and ensuring that such conversations are prioritised by the business and C-suite. McQuaid also delves into the practical ways that HR teams can implement new frameworks, the commercial incentive for doing so, the first steps that HR must take, empowering the workforce to make such changes (against the backdrop of the rising tech oligarchs and sociocultural shifts), and why mental health is front and centre of this broader discussion.

In this episode of the HR Leader podcast, host Kace O'Neill sits down with Rachel Voysey, founding director and principal psychologist of the Relationship Room, to unpack the complexities of workplace relationships – from platonic bonds to office romances. With over a decade of expertise in relationship dynamics, Voysey unpacks HR's delicate role: addressing these dynamics without moral judgment, spotting subtle red flags like dips in team trust or favouritism, and navigating power imbalances that erode cohesion. From discreetly managing fallout to understanding how secrecy breeds "intuitive distrust", Voysey emphasises policies that balance empathy with accountability. While workplace relationships are inevitable, Voysey stresses that education on professional versus personal connections – and compassionate, transparent leadership – can mitigate risks without stifling the human connections that drive engagement.

Remuneration and incentives have always been a Pandora's box for business leaders. In the post-pandemic climate, however, in which employee values have shifted, the equation has become trickier. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with TalentCode HR founder and managing director Trudy MacDonald about the difficulties business leaders have long had with implementing successful remuneration and incentive strategies, how COVID-19 spawned a shift in employee thinking around work/life balance, the Great Exhaustion and its implications, the impact of resenteeism, and how difficult it is for employers to cater to idiosyncratic needs of all staff. MacDonald also reflects on whether employees are staying put right now (following the Great Resignation), employee disgruntlement amid high inflation and a cost-of-living crisis, how the latest WGEA data might impact employee thinking, the steps that HR professionals and C-suite executives need to take, measuring success, and the folly of viewing remuneration as an isolated issue.

"Nothing sharpens the mind," a leading barrister says, like the threat of serious financial penalties or imprisonment. Under the newly legislated wage theft laws, businesses need to ensure their payroll and other administrative processes meet the requisite standard. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back Sydney-based barrister Ian Neil SC to discuss why employment and industrial relations law is such a meaningful vocational path for him, what the new wage theft laws are and how they came about, the most common reasons why employers will fail to comply with existing law, and why old excuses will no longer fly. Neil also delves into the consequences of non-compliance with the new legislative landscape, community perceptions about the new laws, the questions businesses must ask of themselves in getting their systems up to scratch, the role of HR in ensuring compliance, how HR can balance such duties against other priorities, and he also fleshes out other key aspects of the new Closing Loopholes legislation.

Donald Trump's presidency has already begun reshaping the corporate and political landscape in the US, with executive orders rolling back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and clean energy efforts. What impact does this have on organisational culture globally? In this episode of the Relative Return Unplugged Podcast – produced by the wealth portfolio at HR Leader's parent company, Momentum Media – Associate Professor Nathan Eva from Monash Business School discusses the global implications of Trump's "me-first agenda" on business and workplace culture, including within Australia. He explores the risks of deprioritising diversity, how Australian leaders can resist these trends, what organisations can do to stay committed to fairness, equity, and sustainability amid political and social upheaval, and the leadership qualities needed to navigate this challenging new era.

The year 2024 was eventful for industrial relations (IR) disputes, with major Australian organisations facing off against disgruntled workers and unions in standoffs that caused a media frenzy. Here, one IR expert breaks down these major disputes and offers an outlook on why employers can't afford to ignore the 2025 IR wave. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Kace O'Neill speaks with Workvergent founder and managing industrial relations consultant Troy Gread to unpack the most polarising disputes – from the Woolworths' Christmas showdown to Sydney's train strike chaos – and what they reveal about the battles ahead. On the eve of a federal election, with IR battles and multi-employer bargaining on the rise, Gread reveals why 2025 could be a tipping point for employers and HR teams. Whether it's navigating union tactics, Gen Z worker activism, or the hidden costs of lost productivity – the rapidly changing industrial landscape continues to evolve.

While "hustle culture" has been celebrated in the mainstream in recent years, one business leader is advocating for the more targeted, deliberated approach of "focus culture" – through which, she says, workers can be passionate about their work without having it become their identity. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with INFIX founder and chief executive Niamh Sullivan about her journey as a Forbes 30 Under 30 semi-finalist and a TEDx speaker, the key differences between "focus culture" and "hustle culture", the impact of the pandemic on workplace cultural issues, the perpetuating impact of social media, and the consequences of buying into "hustle culture". Sullivan also delves into the negative cultural impacts that come from constant hustling by workers, what "focus culture" looks like in practice, the role of HR in working with employees to bring about the right cultural change, the role of business leaders, and how optimistic she is that Australian workplaces can move towards healthier modes of working and productivity.

Here, a senior corporate lawyer reflects on the three-year career break she took to be a full-time carer and what businesses need to do to ensure that the idiosyncratic family needs of workers are accounted for. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with ANZ senior procurement lawyer Porscia Lam about her legal career and decision to take a three-year break to care for her son, balancing work against family needs, what the response was like to her move, and how her perceptions of Australian workplaces have evolved in recent years. Lam also delves into the need for businesses to better accommodating parenting needs, identifying the business case for increased support, what works and doesn't work when supporting parents with neurodiverse children, ingraining such support in the workplace's culture, the role of HR departments in driving such change, and making sure such support remains, even against the pushback against DEI measures.

In the face of myriad market changes, not only do HR professionals need to work differently – they also need to be perceived differently in the workplace. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Ignite Purpose founder and chief executive Christina Foxwell about the key takeaways and lessons for HR professionals from 2024 and what the implications are for such professionals, increasing concerns around exhaustion, and why self-care needs to be front and centre for HR in the new year. Foxwell also discusses the questions HR teams need to ask of themselves in 2025, the trends she is most excited about for this year, how difficult it will be for HR to navigate such trends, and her guidance to HR in order to thrive.

With more and more employees wanting access to mentoring, it is essential that businesses get it right, says one investment banker turned executive coach and consultant. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with MentorKey and Serendis founder Maud Lindley about her career journey, the increased demand for mentoring in the workplace, how and why businesses are not hitting the mark with mentoring programs, and the circumstances leading to shortcomings in such initiatives. Lindley also reflects on the consequences that flow when mentoring programs are not satisfactory, whether addressing such issues is a priority for businesses right now, the practical steps to take to improve mentoring offerings and solutions to implement, and the role of HR in driving mentoring programs forward into the future.

In December, the High Court of Australia overturned a 115-year-old precedent and determined that "sham" terminations can cause psychiatric injury. Here, we unpack the implications of this decision for businesses nationwide. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Pinsent Masons partner and head of employment law and reward (APAC) Aaron Goonrey about the expansiveness of legal work in this space, what the decision in Elisha v Vision Australia Ltd held, what was ordered and what it means moving forward. Goonrey also delves into the extent to which employment law is entering a grey area as a result of the decision, how it changes the landscape for employment lawyers across the country, and what will constitute best practice for professionals in this space in 2025 and beyond.

Across the board, Australian businesses can and must be better at utilising the unique perspectives and experiences of their more senior employees – particularly in a market defined by rapid workplace and technological change. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Taking it Forward founder and chief executive and human resources executive Lana Johnston about the importance of reflecting on the need to better utilise older workers, why businesses may be failing to get the most out of such a cohort, perceptions that hold such workers back, and the challenges they face on the ground. Johnston also delves into the perspectives that older workers can bring to the table for their younger counterparts, the practical steps to better utilising them and their abilities, what businesses need to be asking of themselves, what works and doesn't work, and bringing the whole workforce along for the journey.

The year 2024 provided numerous examples of underpayment and wage theft violations, with a number of employers facing repercussions. Yet in 2025, the consequences for these indiscretions will be much harsher – with jail time not off the table. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Smart WFM founder and chief executive Jarrod McGrath about what the new wage theft criminalisation laws – which are set to come into place next year – mean for Australian HR leaders and senior organisational executives. McGrath describes the vital function that correct payroll systems have when it comes to underpayments, with the vast majority of these contraventions being a by-product of flawed payroll systems that permeate errors. McGrath also expounds on the widespread trust issue that can arise as a result of underpayment of even a single employee, as workers often lose faith in their employer when incidents like this take place. Finally, McGrath dives into the intricate details of the new laws that will, without a doubt, have a huge effect on the job role of HR teams in 2025.

A "tsunami" of wellness workplace issues could be coming for Australian businesses, highlighting the importance of redesigning environmental structures to better ensure optimal outcomes for staff and team objectives. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Elemental Coaching and Psychology chief mental health adviser Kate Connors about how well Australian workplaces are faring on the wellness front post-pandemic, the headline consequences for teams that are not functioning at optimal levels, market factors exacerbating poor wellness at present, and the urgent need to redesign workplace structures. Connors also delves into the questions that businesses and leaders need to ask in redesigning such structures, what works and doesn't work in undertaking a redesign, practical implementation, the need for evaluation, avoiding looking for quick wins, and the role of HR in ensuring a return on investment.

While human resources professionals have always had to navigate workplace issues that are inherently ethical, the tension and discomfort that arise from the navigation of such issues is an element that – particularly in the current climate – demands greater attention. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Cranlana Centre for Ethical Leadership program director Dr Matt Beard about his work in the ethics space, what we mean by ethical dilemmas, what we're seeing in the market that may be making it more difficult for HR to navigate such dilemmas, and why there is a "heightened sense" of such challenges. Beard also reflects on the compounding problems inherent with communication hurdles in the post-pandemic working environment, how better management of ethical dilemmas can and will aid HR teams in dealing with other urgent priorities, the underlying risk of "ethical fading", practical steps that HR teams can be taking right now, and how HR can get buy-in from other business functions to bolster their capacity to better deal with workplace issues.

Australia's workers' compensation landscape, given the almost dozen separate schemes nationwide, is "a bit of a fractured mess". Having a national scheme, one workplace risk director argues, will go a long way in addressing pervasive issues. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Aon workplace risk director Gary McMullen about the current state of affairs with workers' compensation schemes across the country, why the disparity is causing problems, the "postcode privilege" that exists for some workers, and how schemes are both declining in performance and simultaneously more expensive. McMullen also delves into self-insurance that businesses will take out, the current state of mental health claims nationwide, the potential for lingering issues to get worse, his case for a national scheme, the likelihood that a national scheme can come about, and how HR professionals can help their businesses navigate the current landscape in the interim.

Bronwen Bock and Lucy Bradlow are blazing a trail as Australia's first job-share political candidates, seeking a Senate seat in Victoria. Parliament, they say, "should be like any other workplace" and not be limited to those who can be available 24/7 for the job, as this diminishes who can represent their communities. Our political climate, the pair argues, is poorer for it. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Bronwen Bock and Lucy Bradlow from the Better Together Party about their respective careers and subsequent interest in running for Parliament as job-sharing candidates, how the community has responded to their job-sharing candidacy, and how our Constitution lends weight to their fight to become Australia's first job-sharing politicians. Bock and Bradlow also delve into their party and policy positions, why their candidacy has shifted from seeking a House of Representatives seat to a Senate seat, the broader message Australians should take from their candidacy, driving forward flexible working arrangements in our national workforce, achieving gender equality, why more men need to explore job-sharing arrangements, and how others can start to explore working arrangements that better suit their needs.