http://www.dawtekonline.com.auRSS feeds for Dawtek Online60http://www.dawtekonline.com.au/Articles/tabid/670/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/294/Protection-for-employers-and-employees.aspx#Comments0http://www.dawtekonline.com.au/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=670&ModuleID=1417&ArticleID=294http://www.dawtekonline.com.au/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=294&PortalID=14&TabID=670http://www.dawtekonline.com.au/Articles/tabid/670/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/294/Protection-for-employers-and-employees.aspxWriting business policies can be time consuming and many managers simply don't know where to begin. Policies give guidance to your employees as they set out expected behaviours and detail how your company will deal with various issues. They are an important tool in managing your staff. Changes to unfair dismissal legislation for small businesses (less than 15 employees) come into effect on July 1, 2009 and all organisations should ensure they have adequate policies and procedures in place to protect both the employer and their staff. The policies establish standards of behaviour across a range of employment-related issues.  They can be modified to suit the needs of the organisation and can be added to with procedures.  Having a set of policies will help with the foundations of putting together a Human Resources document for your business. As an employer, you must put systems in place which give you the best chance of stopping, or at least uncovering, any breaches to your workplace policies. It is up to you to regularly update, educate and enforce your company’s employment policies. As a small business ourselves, we have developed templates that you will use on a daily basis, in a standard layout across your organisation. With a small amount of customisation you will be able to create an effective employee manual that will protect and balance the needs of your employees with your own rights and responsibilities. Your staff will be free to specialise in what they do best: improving to your company's bottom line.kristineMon, 09 Aug 2010 07:50:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:294http://www.dawtekonline.com.au/Articles/tabid/670/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/247/The-Importance-of-Environmental-Management-in-the-Workplace.aspx#Comments0http://www.dawtekonline.com.au/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=670&ModuleID=1417&ArticleID=247http://www.dawtekonline.com.au/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=247&PortalID=14&TabID=670http://www.dawtekonline.com.au/Articles/tabid/670/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/247/The-Importance-of-Environmental-Management-in-the-Workplace.aspxClimate change is a serious issue right now, and our energy use has been proven to directly contribute to it. Greenhouse gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and nitrous oxide are trapping the sun’s heat inside our atmosphere, resulting in higher incidences of bushfires, drought and shifting coastlines. The good news is that we can all play a part in slowing global warming. Businesses have a large role to play in reducing climate change and greenhouse gas emissions; but by assessing your current Environmental Management strategies and implementing them in your workplace, you can save energy and reduce your greenhouse gas emissions. Not only will you help the environment, you will also enjoy the benefits of production efficiencies and cost savings. To start with, you may want to assess your business' environmental responsibility by undertaking an audit of energy consumption and green practices, which will also indicate your business' potential savings from implementing basic Environment Management strategies.  Dawtek Online's Environmental Management Policy bundle is an instantly downloadable set of templates to assist your small business to have an effective Environmental Management strategy in place. There are also many online resources such as carboncompass.com.au which provide tools to aid in calculating your carbon footprint. Additionally, businesses can make small changes like buying appliances with high star energy ratings. On average, one extra star will save you 10 – 30% of energy expenditure. Replace old light globes with energy saving ones, and consider switching your energy to GreenPower. GreenPower is electricity that is generated from renewable resources such as the sun, wind, water and waste. The cost of implementing GreenPower can easily be recouped in the long run by the savings it will provide, and you will immediately reduce your greenhouse gas contributions. Throughout Australia 27,000 organisations have already swapped to GreenPower. Remember that the State Government can offer a wide range of support to businesses looking to reduce their impact on the environment. Set an example by showing initiative and compassion for our environment and its resources. By implementing a successful Environmental Management strategy now, you can decrease costs and reduce your carbon footprint. We cannot stop global warming, but we can slow it, if we act now. Copyright All documents are Copyright Dawtek Online Pty Ltd, 2010.  References: GreenPower: http://www.resourcesmart.vic.gov.au/for_businesses_2655.html Star Ratings: http://www.saveenergy.vic.gov.au/ Carbon Footprint Calculator (sign-up required): http://carboncompass.com.au/solution/business-carbon-footprint-calculatorkristineMon, 03 May 2010 05:33:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:247http://www.dawtekonline.com.au/Articles/tabid/670/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/217/March-25-Off-Sale.aspx#Comments0http://www.dawtekonline.com.au/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=670&ModuleID=1417&ArticleID=217http://www.dawtekonline.com.au/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=217&PortalID=14&TabID=670http://www.dawtekonline.com.au/Articles/tabid/670/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/217/March-25-Off-Sale.aspxAll Dawtek Online templates are on sale for the month of March.  All templates are reduced by 25%.  Download today and implement tomorrow!kristineWed, 03 Mar 2010 05:40:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:217http://www.dawtekonline.com.au/Articles/tabid/670/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/201/All-Templates-February-50-Off-Sale.aspx#Comments0http://www.dawtekonline.com.au/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=670&ModuleID=1417&ArticleID=201http://www.dawtekonline.com.au/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=201&PortalID=14&TabID=670http://www.dawtekonline.com.au/Articles/tabid/670/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/201/All-Templates-February-50-Off-Sale.aspxDawtek Online is offering all our customers 50% off our entire range of Templates for the month of February!kristineMon, 08 Feb 2010 07:40:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:201http://www.dawtekonline.com.au/Articles/tabid/670/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/128/Dawtek-Onlines-EHS-Templates.aspx#Comments0http://www.dawtekonline.com.au/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=670&ModuleID=1417&ArticleID=128http://www.dawtekonline.com.au/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=128&PortalID=14&TabID=670http://www.dawtekonline.com.au/Articles/tabid/670/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/128/Dawtek-Onlines-EHS-Templates.aspx 12.00 Normal 0 false false false EN-AU X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Legislation requires all workplaces to have an OH&S (Occupational Health and Safety) Policy, outlining the company's commitment and duty of care to providing a safe and healthy working environment for employees, visitors and contractors. Dawtek Online has done the work for you. By downloading the templates listed here and then tailoring them to your organisation, you can create a complete Environmental Health and Safety manual.  These policies and procedures are written as a general guide which will be sufficient for the majority of small businesses. Of course some industries have specific health and safety requirements which are not covered here – in this case you should contact WorkCover in your state for legislative requirements.  Please contact Dawtek Online if you feel a policy or procedure is missing as we are constantly updating our range.  We are happy to discuss any specific requirements you may have, or to assist in customising our templates to your individual situation. Dawtek is continuing to develop our Environmental, Health and Safety Policies and Procedures. Please contact us if you are interested in other templates and Dawtek Online will advise you when the templates are available for download. 12.00 Normal 0 false false false EN-AU X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";} A list of just some of the Policies and Procedures now available are: Armed Hold Up Asbestos Safety Bomb Threat Cultural Diversity Danger and Out-of-Service Drug and Alcohol Electrical Installation and Equipment Environmental Health and Safety Environmental Management Emergency Response Employee Code of Conduct Employee Safety Induction Ergonomics First Aid Treatment Footwear (Suitable) Grievance and Complaint Resolution Hazardous Substances Hygiene and Housekeeping Incident Reporting Inclement Weather Infection Control Ladders and Access to Heights Manual Handling Noise Management Personal Protective Equipment Plant and Equipment Risk Assessments (Plant, Equipment, Task, Process, PPE, Hazardous Substances, Environmental Impact ) Smoke Free Workplace Sun Protection Uncontrolled Workplace Vehicle Visitor and General Public Information Waste Minimisation Workplace Aggression and Violence Workplace Harassment Workplace Safety Inspection 12.00 Normal 0 false false false EN-AU X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";} Click here for a list of all templates currently available (pdf, 366KB) Copyright All documents are Copyright Dawtek Online Pty Ltd, 2010.kristineThu, 19 Nov 2009 06:30:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:128http://www.dawtekonline.com.au/Articles/tabid/670/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/101/Changing-legislation-for-small-businesses.aspx#Comments0http://www.dawtekonline.com.au/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=670&ModuleID=1417&ArticleID=101http://www.dawtekonline.com.au/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=101&PortalID=14&TabID=670http://www.dawtekonline.com.au/Articles/tabid/670/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/101/Changing-legislation-for-small-businesses.aspxA new, fair dismissal system will be introduced this year as part of the new workplace relations system. The Fair Work Act 2009 establishes a new independent umpire, Fair Work Australia, to oversee the new national workplace relations system, replacing the seven existing workplace relations agencies (including the Office of Workplace Services, the Australian Fair Pay Commission and the Office of the Employment Advocate).   New dismissal laws will come into effect from 1 July 2009 and an important change for small business is that companies which employ less than 100 staff no longer have blanket exemption from unfair dismissal.  Unfair dismissal is dismissal that is harsh, unjust or unreasonable. If an employee is made redundant, and the employer can show the redundancy is genuine, the dismissal will not be unfair.   From 1 July 2009, an employee of a small business with 1-14 full-time equivalent employees will need to have been employed for 12 months before they can claim unfair dismissal.  They can dismiss through that time. If they can demonstrate they have complied with the fair dismissal code, which is a simple process, then the dismissal can be deemed fair.   Businesses with 15 or more full-time employees will have a six-month waiting period for employees who wish to claim for unfair dismissal. From 1 January 2011, the definition of ‘equivalent employees’ will change to a simple headcount of all employees, whether full-time, part-time or casual.   Small business owners are recommended to review policies and procedures so that management and staff are familiar with the company's terms and conditions of employment.  Make sure you are not the recipient of an unfair work dismissal claim.    Link: http://www.smartcompany.com.au/industrial-relations/20090323-get-ready-now-to-avoid-unfair-dismissal-claims.htmlhostWed, 15 Apr 2009 22:33:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:101http://www.dawtekonline.com.au/Articles/tabid/670/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/100/Do-your-current-IT-policies-cover-social-networking.aspx#Comments0http://www.dawtekonline.com.au/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=670&ModuleID=1417&ArticleID=100http://www.dawtekonline.com.au/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=100&PortalID=14&TabID=670http://www.dawtekonline.com.au/Articles/tabid/670/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/100/Do-your-current-IT-policies-cover-social-networking.aspxRecent media interest in social networking sites has highlighted the need for employers to adequately inform their staff of conditions regarding internet access while at work. You may be tempted to sack a member of your staff for making a comment to a friend on Facebook or Twitter which compromises your business integrity, but were they aware of this risk in the first place?     Employers must put policies and procedures in place which clearly explain the rules and conditions of employment. It's all about minimising risk. Staff should be made aware as soon as they take up employment, of clear policies surrounding use of work internet access and email.   Current employment contracts are unlikely to cover staff use of social networking sites and present policies should be reviewed and replaced rather than stretched to cover these new issues.   The legal position in regard to monitoring employee email and internet usage is both complex and ambiguous, what is apparent, however, is that any monitoring of emails or internet usage should be the subject of a clear employer policy.   Take a look at Dawtek Online's IT Policies and Procedures. Our IT Code of Ethics will ensure that employees understand appropriate behaviours required by their employer and the law. It includes use of the internet, and email services. It covers appropriate use, responsible and respectful behavior, privacy and representing the views of the company. The over-arching IT Policy includes responsibilities of both employer and employee, covering music downloads, defamation, monitoring, backups, and personal web pages. The IT Instant Messaging Procedure offers three levels of control for an employer over how employees can access instant messaging systems while at work; and the IT Blogging Procedure offers two options according to the workplace situation.  You will find these policies and procedures are a valuable asset in the smooth and flexible operation of your business.hostWed, 15 Apr 2009 22:32:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:100http://www.dawtekonline.com.au/Articles/tabid/670/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/99/Why-does-my-business-need-policies-and-procedures.aspx#Comments0http://www.dawtekonline.com.au/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=670&ModuleID=1417&ArticleID=99http://www.dawtekonline.com.au/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=99&PortalID=14&TabID=670http://www.dawtekonline.com.au/Articles/tabid/670/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/99/Why-does-my-business-need-policies-and-procedures.aspxPolicies and Procedures provide a clear statement of the rules and conditions of employment. It is important that they are read and understood by all staff. Clearly defined policies increase productivity. They provide employees with a reference source on many operational questions, allowing staff to make faster decisions while complying with company guidelines. A Policy explains the company's stance on a particular issue, be it security, safety or general conduct and what the organisation intends to do about the issue. It also outlines the company's commitment to voluntarily comply with legislation. A Procedure outlines the process to be followed regarding an activity (culture) within this workplace. Effective procedures should be developed in consultation with key staff. This does not mean that the employees involved have to own the issue, as responsibility for implementation of procedures and policies legally lies with the employer. Together, related Policies and Procedures can be bundled into a Handbook.   Policies should be implemented together with Procedures, to guide the behavior of employees and employers, and protect both parties in the event of an incident. Rather than being a law, they are useful as a guideline to developing a suitable mechanism which will manage performance and behaviours in the workplace and will assist your workplace to remain harmonious.hostWed, 15 Apr 2009 22:31:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:99