Wrapping Up 2024. A Fresh Start for 2025

Wrapping Up 2024: Employment Relations Lessons and a Fresh Start for 2025

As the holiday season approaches, workplaces across Australia are winding down, reflecting on the past year (or two!), and planning for the next. For businesses, the last few years have brought more than just new challenges—it brought opportunities to reshape the way we think about workplace culture, safety, and engagement.

From legislative changes like the Right to Disconnect to the Fair Work Commission’s expanded role in managing stop sexual harassment orders, this year has underscored the importance of fostering workplaces where fairness, respect, and psychological safety take centre stage.

So, as you decorate the office, prepare for holiday festivities, or simply take a moment to unwind, let’s reflect on the key lessons and unwrap four practical priorities to help your business step confidently into 2025.

2024 in Review: A Workplace Evolution

The year 2024 will be remembered as a landmark year in Australian employment relations. It introduced new expectations for businesses to rethink how they engage with employees, handle risks and changes, and support well-being. Here’s a quick recap of the changes that shaped the year:

• Enhanced Flexible Working Rights: From 6 June 2023, we saw the Secure Jobs, Better Pay reforms bring about enhanced flexible working rights for specific groups, including pregnant individuals, those aged 55 or older, individuals with disabilities, those responsible for a child of school age or younger, and those experiencing family and domestic violence (or a member of their immediate family or household).
• Family and Domestic Violence Leave: As of 1 February 2023 for non-small businesses and 1 August 2023 for small businesses, the National Employment Standards (NES) were amended to introduce 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave in a 12-month period for full-time, part-time and casual employees. This new entitlement replaced the five days unpaid leave which was only available to full-time and part-time employees. It has been reported that a recent review by Flinders University found that 91% per cent of the people surveyed reported the increased entitlements had helped them maintain their income while dealing with domestic violence, though the review recommended that greater education about the entitlements occur.
• The “Right to Disconnect”: Just like unplugging the Christmas tree lights at the end of the night, employees now have the legal right to switch off from work communications outside agreed hours. This change became law in August 2024 as part of the Closing Loopholes reforms, encouraging employers to promote healthier work-life balance practices.
• Proactive Psychosocial Risk Management: This year’s updates to WHS laws reminded us that mental health risks—like stress, bullying, or interpersonal conflicts—are just as critical to address as physical hazards. Employers were tasked with creating workplaces that prioritise psychological safety. Throughout the year, businesses embraced a proactive approach to managing risks, focusing on fostering cultures that prevent problems rather than just responding to them.
• Fair Work Commission’s Role in Sexual Harassment Prevention: 2024 reinforced the importance of creating environments free from harassment, where employees feel protected and respected and the FWC now also has a more direct role to play. From December 2023, the Australian Human Resources Commission also have new powers to conduct enquiries into organisations and business that it reasonably suspects are not complying with the positive duty. Starting 1 October 2024, the Australian Human Rights Commission Amendment (Costs Protection) Act 2024 made changes to the Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986 (AHRC Act), the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia Act 2021 (FCFCA Act), and the Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (FCA Act). These changes are based on the results of a national inquiry into workplace sexual harassment an introduced equal access cost provisions to enable applicants who might otherwise be discouraged by potential costs, to pursue claims of unlawful behaviour in the Federal Court.

So what might we look forward to next year?

Four Workplace Priorities to Unwrap in 2025

As we prepare for the new year, let’s focus on the gifts of growth, preparation, and opportunity. Here are four workplace priorities to place under your strategic tree for 2025:

1. A Zero-Tolerance Approach to Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment prevention is no longer just about policies—it’s about action. The Fair Work Commission’s management of stop sexual harassment orders in 2024 demonstrated the importance of proactive responses to workplace misconduct of this particular type.

What to put on your list:

• Revise your policies to clearly define sexual harassment and how this is managed.
• Provide easy-to-access, confidential reporting channels and ensure they are well known.
• Commit to timely investigations.
• Train your team to recognise and respond to sexual harassment (and other misconduct with confidence.
• Draft your sexual harassment action plan which is also now a requirement.

This approach is not only about compliance; it’s about fostering trust, safety, and respect across your workplace.

2. Put Psychosocial Safety at the Heart of Your Workplace

Workplace stress is like the pressure of holiday shopping—it can overwhelm employees if not managed effectively. The psychosocial risk obligations introduced in 2024 remind us to take care of our people by addressing risks to their mental well-being.

Your 2025 action plan:

• Identify stressors in your workplace through workplace reviews and surveys.
• Take practical steps to reduce risks, like improving workload management or offering stress-reduction programs.
• Regularly review and adapt your approach to psychosocial safety, just as you’d tweak your holiday traditions to keep them meaningful.

A safe and supported team is the gift that keeps on giving, boosting morale, productivity, and retention.

3. Shift Toward Balanced Misconduct Management

When workplace conflicts arise, deciding how to handle them can be as tricky as deciding who gets the last piece of the Christmas pavlova. In 2025, businesses need to balance formal investigations with alternative methods like mediation and coaching.

Unwrap these strategies:

• Assess each situation to determine whether formal investigation or alternative dispute resolution (ADR) is the best fit.
• Ensure fairness and transparency, regardless of the approach you take.
• Provide training for managers to handle conflicts sensitively and effectively.
• Focus on achieving positive outcomes by building stronger workplace relationships and making policy improvements were and when necessary.

ADR doesn’t just resolve conflicts; it can build stronger teams and foster a more harmonious workplace. It is also in some cases a faster and more cost effective way of addressing conflict.

4. Embrace Work-Life Balance as a Core Value

With the Right to Disconnect becoming law in 2024, it’s time to rethink how your business supports employees’ work-life balance. Just like the holidays give us time to relax and recharge, workplaces in 2025 should provide the same opportunities year-round.

Ideas for a fresh start:

• Introduce communication policies that limit after-hours emails and calls.
• Use technology like email scheduling to avoid disruptions to employees’ downtime.
• Encourage managers to lead by example, showing employees that it’s okay to log off and unwind.
• Offer flexible work arrangements that cater to individual needs.

By supporting balance, you’re creating a happier, more engaged workforce ready to tackle the challenges of 2025.

A Festive Outlook for 2025

The changes of 2024 may have been challenging and in some cases daunting, but they also opened the door to a brighter, more equitable workplace future. Take this opportunity to reflect, recharge and get read for what I am sure will be a fantastic but busy 2025.

From us at Worklogic, all the best to you and your family for the holiday season. Be safe and we look forward to assisting you with maybe some of these ideas in the new year.

How can Worklogic help?

We’ve seen it all! – and we’d love to share our knowledge to help you and your business thrive.

Our expert consultants have conducted thousands of workplace investigations, preliminary assessments, mediations, and culture reviews and provide practical advice to companies of all shapes and sizes. To book your obligation free, confidential discussion with one of our consultants, contact us briefly describing the workplace situation you need assistance.