PJ Westbury Consulting Services

Our Services (Or "How We Help")

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

In all employment related tribunals (Industrial Relations/Fair Work Australia Commission; Australian Human Rights Commission; Magistrates Courts; Workcover etc), most cases are decided on the procedures that an employer has used to manage a particular situation and the documentary evidence the employer can produce in their defense.

HOW WE HELP is by installing our very comprehensive (yet simple and easy to use) human resource management system that includes policies and procedures for: Recruitment; Performance Appraisals; Grievances; Sexual Harassment; Discrimination; Workplace Harassment; Workplace Health & Safety and Worker Rehabilitation.

We have also prepared and negotiated many flexible enterprise agreements for businesses that take into account the future structure of the business, allowing the EBA to suit the growth of that business.

Our training business Sunstate Rural Training (www.ruraltraining.net.au) provides training to the employer, their family and any nominated supervisors in how to manage and use the system.

The HRM system has helped me to select the most suitable applicants for positions at my farm at the earliest stage. My employees also use the workplace agreement to their advantage by choosing to either receive a lump sum payment or to take banked time to have a paid holiday
Peter Maywald - Maywald Pines at Childers

We are very happy with the Human Resource Management system, it has had a huge impact on how we manage staff right from the recruitment stage. We also have a flexible workplace agreement that provides the employees with a worthwhile income, whilst at the same time reducing the costs to the business.
Steven Ford - Speed-e-Com at Bundaberg

Dear Paul,
I am writing this letter to thank you for assisting us recently with a delicate staffing situation that could have resulted in us terminating the employment of two of our longest standing employees.

We are convinced that the purchase and use of your human resource management system has enabled us to manage that staffing situation, through the use of the Performance Appraisal Policy and Procedures and the Discipline Policy and Procedures. The training you provided us will ensure that we are in a far better position to handle future employment related situations.

These days with increasing numbers of employees making claims against their employers under the myriad of employment related legislation, we are confident that our investment in the HRM system is insignificant compared to the potential amounts employees could attempt to take us for.

The two employees mentioned above are now both working very productively and the work force is again united.

Again, thank you.

Brendan Fallon
Manager Perrys
Hire Service

WORKPLACE HEALTH & SAFETY

Our WH&S Management system ensures the health and safety of workers of our client businesses because it is simple to use for owners, managers, supervisors and workers in the business and our training course ensures they understand the principles and processes of the system.

Businesses that have our system include: 165 horticulture farms; 16 Poultry farms; 2 engineering firms; 1 transport company; 9 On-Course Golf Shops; 1 Dive Charter Boat company; 1 Bowling Club; 1 Painting, Waterproofing and Epoxy Flooring company; 1 Food Processing company; and 1 family owned small retail supermarket. The number of workers employed by these businesses equates to approximately 4,000 and the owners rarely receive claims against them.

Only one farm business, of all of the above businesses, has had a serious workplace accident since receiving the training and the management system. The WH&S Inspector that investigated the incident found that the farmer had nothing to answer for

Employers can be hit three times financially by not ensuring the health and safety of their employees as follows:

The local state government department administering their Work Health and Safety Act can fine a business for not ensuring the health and safety of their employees, or other persons entering the property including contractors
An employee injured at work can take legal proceedings under common law against the employer for the injury they suffered; and
Annual WorkCover premiums rise as a result of successful claims by employees.

HOW WE HELP is by installing our WH&S Management System, which we have done with a number of businesses following serious accidents. Our system follows the Australian Standard for WH&S management systems.

Again, our training business will provide training to you and your supervisors in how to manage and use the system. The training follows a national competency for WH&S.

EMPLOYEE CLAIMS

Employees (both former and current) can make claims against you under a variety of state and federal employment legislation.

HOW WE HELP is by assisting you to manage these types of matters, which may ultimately include defending you in the relevant tribunal

Our procedure in relation to claim management is to:

Conduct an intensive investigation into the worker's reasons for making the claim to find discrepancies in their statements and to locate any breaches of their legal obligations and/or company policies that could assist with your defence of the claim
Attempt to have the worker withdraw the claim using methods we have used over the past 16 years, which includes using any information we have obtained during the investigation process
Arrange for the next stage (conciliation conference) to occur at the least possible cost to you – we do this by requesting that the conciliation conference take place via teleconference wherever possible, which negates the cost of travelling (you, your witnesses and us) to a major city to attend the conference
Use documentary evidence at the conciliation conference to attempt to have the matter either withdrawn by the worker or negotiate the best possible settlement for you at that stage, rather than going to the expense of a tribunal hearing
As the last resort, represent you in the relevant tribunal and assist with any post-tribunal settlement matters

We recently represented a business in the Fair Work Australia Commission on an unfair dismissal application. If that business had our HRM System installed and their supervisors trained in its use, we are confident that it would never have got to court.

We also regularly assist businesses with WorkCover claims, many of which in our opinion are bogus.

RETURN TO WORK – REHABILITATION

There are many advantages in getting an injured worker to return to work as soon as possible after an injury or illness, including minimising the effect on your WorkCover premium.

Workers that are on a claim that you think may be bogus are reluctant to return to work for the reasons that they made a claim in the first place. A strategy therefore to deal with these people is to make them participate in a return to work program. This course of action can return the control of the situation to you.

HOW WE HELP is by assisting you to work with WorkCover to get the rehabilitation and return to work program established. We can also assist if there are any problems created by the worker during the program.

We recently assisted a business that had a WorkCover claim settled for $35,000, when the employee wanted $300,000. The WorkCover solicitor was impressed with the evidence we were able to produce to minimise the claim.

PEOPLE PLANNING

Workers with knowledge, skills and experience in your industry may be extremely hard to find, so when you find one you really need to keep them.

HOW WE HELP is by assisting you to develop a People Management Plan that looks at the skills, knowledge and experience your business needs of its people over the next 5 to 10 years. The 'Plan' would identify how you are going to obtain AND RETAIN those skills, knowledge and experience within your business for the long term.

We can also help you to introduce a culture of management succession planning, which involves protecting the business against the loss of skills and experience resulting from managers and supervisors leaving.

RECRUITMENT and TRAINING

RECRUITMENT

The process of RECRUITMENT is the most important function you can ever perform in a business that relies on their human resources to be successful, because if you recruit the right people and manage them with the care they deserve, your business should benefit greatly. However if you recruit the wrong person, it could cost you many thousands of dollars in defending claims by the worker against you.

HOW WE HELP is by firstly teaching you some recruitment skills so that you can avoid some pitfalls in the process. We can also manage the recruitment process for you for the most important positions in the organisation.

TRAINING

Given that the recruitment of skilled workers is almost impossible (especially for supervisory and management positions), businesses need to consider the training of strategically selected workers.

HOW WE HELP Our training business has strategic alliances with Registered Training Organisations and we can therefore prepare and implement a training plan for your business to increase the skills of your workforce. This is of particular benefit for those employees who you have identified during the 'People Planning' process to take on supervisory and management roles within the business.

Our Mission