  Gossip is a common part of most workplaces, but where should an employer draw the line? While we want to build respectful workplaces, we don't want to be the fun police either. To help us understand the risks and benefits of workplace gossip, Thorunn Arnadottir joins the show.  In this episode we cover: Whether an employer can ever ban workplace gossip What's the line between friendly office banter and gossip? Can gossip be considered a form of workplace bullying? What are the obligations employers need to be aware of when it comes to gossip in the workplace? The potential benefits of workplace gossip, and how may actually help your business   The Better Business Podcast is brought to you by Employsure, Australia’s largest Workplace Relations consultancy, trusted by more than 24,000 small businesses.

Better Business Podcast

Can I Ban Workplace Gossip?

  By now, most businesses have some kind of social media presence, but are you getting maximum return for your efforts?   Far from being a luxury, social media is now an essential business tool, one that not only tells the story of your business, but builds your brand, generates leads and helps you connect with an audience - whether it's in your neighbourhood, or around the world.   Yet many business owners can get caught in the trap of using it purely as an engagement tool. While everyone loves dog videos and a hilarious meme, this kind of content doesn't always translate into new business.   On the other hand, we've all seen businesses who use social media like a billboard, blasting a sales message until we don't pay attention anymore.   What is the right balance of content? How do we get the most from our social media, and more importantly, what are the common mistakes we should avoid?   In this episode we’re joined by Sonya McIntyre Reid from Kiss Marketing who helps shares her insights into social media marketing, including:   How to have conversations on social media, that lead to sales The things you’re doing that you think are helpful, but are actually wasting your time Organic vs Paid content, and how they work Scheduling content, tools and how often you should post Why 100 followers can be more valuable than 10,000 How great quality content beats frequency Why you need to act like a human, not a brand   Find out more about Sonya:   https://www.kissmarketing.com.au/   @kiss_marketing   https://www.facebook.com/kissmarketingAW/   The Better Business Podcast is brought to you by Employsure, Australia’s largest Workplace Relations consultancy, trusted by more than 20,000 small businesses

Why Your Social Media Isn’t Working with Sonya McIntyre Reid

In this month's episode we look at drug and alcohol testing employees, and help employers understand their responsibilities, as well as employee rights. There are certain industries where drug testing is required, other businesses just want to adopt a zero tolerance approach to drugs in the workplace. But successfully introducing alcohol and drug testing into your workplace means navigating a complex legal framework. What are the factors small business owners must consider? In this episode we learn: The legal parameters of alcohol and drug testing in your workplace The process involved in getting fair, reliable results What to do if an employee refuses a drug or alcohol test, and if they return a positive result The role of alcohol and drug testing in workplace health and safety, and risk mitigation The importance of a proper process so you can protect your business from General Protections and Unfair Dismissal claims   The Better Business Podcast is brought to you by Employsure, Australia’s largest Workplace Relations consultancy, trusted by more than 20,000 small businesses.

Drug and Alcohol Testing

In this month's episode of the Better Business Podcast we help you have better meetings with author and coach Donna McGeorge. Yes, they're unavoidable, and yes they can be super unproductive, but meetings are standard practice in workplaces across Australia. But is there a way to get more from our meetings? Joining the show this month is renowned author and coach, Donna McGeorge. Donna is one of Australia's leading business thinkers and coaches, having worked with companies such as Nissan, Ford, JetStar, Telstra and Qantas. She's also the author of 5 books, including The 25 Minute Meeting which teaches us the best practice principles behind powerful and productive workplace meetings.   In this episode, we learn: How to organise better meetings to get better results and save time Alternatives to the standard sit-down meeting Why meetings have become a ‘default’ behaviour, and how to break the pattern Preparedness and Presence and the keys to better meetings The Scan, Focus, Act process How you can politely leave a meeting early   Find out more about Donna McGeorge here https://donnamcgeorge.com/ https://www.25minutemeetings.com/   The Better Business Podcast is brought to you by Employsure, Australia's largest Workplace Relations consultancy, trusted by more than 20,000 small businesses.

25 Minute Meetings with Donna McGeorge

Is it ever ok for an employer to reject a medical certificate? Turns out it is -- under certain circumstances. This month Employment Relations Expert Thorunn Arnadottir joins the show to tell us how a small business owner can legitimately reject a medical certificate, and reveals the valid reasons for doing so. This month we cover: Situations when it might be ok for an employer to reject a medical certificate How to establish valid reasons for rejecting a medical certificate How to raise concerns around and employee's medical certificate Ensuring procedural fairness in rejecting a medical certificate How to request more information and organise an independent medical assessment Seeking professional advice so you don't deny an employee their basic entitlements The essential criteria for a valid medical certificate   The Better Business Podcast is brought to you by Employsure, Australia's largest Workplace Relations consultancy, trusted by more than 20,000 small businesses.

Can I Reject A Medical Certificate?

This month we're looking at Social Selling, a new movement in the way business owners can generate leads, build customer relationships and ultimately drive sales online. Joining the show is Australia's Number 1 Social Seller Mark McInnes, who tell us how small businesses can use social media to connect with customers online, build relationships and ultimately drive more revenue. In this episode we cover: The basic principles of social selling and how it differs from traditional marketing or social media engagement Getting the right balance of social content to engage customers, without being too 'salesy' Connecting with leads online using helpful, interesting content Having better conversations through social media Best practice tips on building an effective social media presence that can increase your sales Using Social Sales to level the playing field with bigger competitors Learn More about Mark McInnes https://www.social4sales.com/ The Better Business Podcast is brought to you by Employsure, Australia's largest Workplace Relations consultancy, trusted by more than 20,000 small businesses. Find more helpful business resources on our blog.

Social Selling with Mark McInnes

In this month's episode of the Better Business Podcast we help you find your business niche with Marketing guru Richard Toutounji. Anyone who's run a small business knows that familiar temptation — to think that everyone is your customer, and that you should sell to anyone willing to pay you. While offering products and services that meet a specific need is the reason we go into business, trying to sell to everyone isn't necessarily the recipe for success. But when you have a niche business and target a very select group of people, you position your business as a specialist in the field, and reach a subset of customers more willing to choose an expert business over a generic supplier. In this episode, we learn: Why focusing on the parts of the business you love could be a great way to find your niche How to start small and add niches as you grow Low cost marketing tips, goiung ‘organic’ and having conversations with potential niches Simple ways to test the market The niching secrets of top Aussie businesses Why fear holds us back from niching You might know Richard from his appearances in the Sydney Morning Herald, Channel 10, The Telegraph — or even from the Australian Amazing race when he and his wife Joey were contestants! Today Richard works with business owners helping them build an online presence, developing their online marketing. Richard has a long history of turning established organisations into marketing machines. Find out more about Richard here: https://commarketing.com.au/ http://www.richardtoutounji.com/ The Better Business Podcast is brought to you by Employsure, Australia's largest Workplace Relations consultancy, trusted by more than 20,000 small businesses. Find more helpful business resources on our blog.

Finding Your Business Niche with Richard Toutounji

In this month's episode of the Better Business Podcast Essentials Update we take a look at one of the most vexing issues in the recruitment process - Dodgy CVs. Our Employment Relations Expert Thorunn Arnadottir stops by to teach us how to spot a dodgy CV, offers common tips for employers to vet candidates, and what you can do if you've hired a candidate you suspect has lied to get the job. In this episode, we learn: How to spot inconsistencies in an application form How to ask the right questions without risking an Adverse Action claim How discrepancies between job titles and duties can be a tell-tale sign of a dodgy CV The importance of the job description, interview and reference check process When it's ok to discipline and terminate an employee who has lied on their CV The Better Business Podcast is brought to you by Employsure, Australia's largest Workplace Relations consultancy, trusted by more than 20,000 small businesses. Find more helpful business resources on our blog.

Essentials Update: How to Spot a Dodgy CV

To mark World Mental Health Day, we speak with Patrice O'Brien, General Manager of Workplace Partnership and Engagement from beyondblue. In this episode we delve into the world of Mental Health and how it applies to small business owners. How do we create workplaces that support mental health - not just for employees, but for small business owners too? Patrice offers some great insights into the importance of self-care, and why when it comes to mental health at work, prevention is the best cure. Show Notes To mark World Mental Health Day, we speak with Patrice O'Brien, General Manager of Workplace Partnership and Engagement from beyondblue. In this episode we delve into the world of Mental Health and how it applies to small business owners. It's an important conversation. 1 in 5 Australians will experience a mental health condition in a given year, and almost 1 in 2 will experience a mental health condition at some point in their lifetime. A recent report on mental health in the workplace by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) looked at the financial cost incurred when employers did not take action to manage mental health conditions in their business. It estimated that the cost to Australian business is approximately $10.9 billion per year. So how do we create workplaces that support mental health - not just for employees, but for small business owners too? Patrice offers some great insights into the importance of self-care, and why when it comes to mental health at work, prevention is the best cure. The Takeaways Why small business owners need to look after their own mental health, and recognise the signs and symptoms of depression and anxiety How absenteeism and presenteeism is costing your business Planning ahead for peak times to ease the mental burden of work on your staff Why civility in the workplace is a key ingredient to a mentally healthy culture Businesses that thrive are the ones who prioritise mental health in the workplace The best and most important changes you can make in your workplace are simple and free Important Small Business Resources beyondblue https://www.beyondblue.org.au/ HeadsUp https://www.headsup.org.au/ Lifeline https://www.lifeline.org.au/ The Better Business Podcast is brought to you by Employsure, Australia's largest Workplace Relations consultancy, trusted by more than 20,000 small businesses. Find more helpful business resources on our blog.

Creating Mentally Healthy Workplaces with Patrice O'Brien

To mark World Mental Health Day, we speak with Michael Morrison, founder of The Black Light Principle and mental wellness coach and consultant. Michael is a former Advertising executive who has also struggled with mental health for most of his life. Michael left advertising to start The Black Light Principle, a platform for him to speak and consult about mental wellness in the workplace, and has become one of Australia's leading authorities on the lived experience of mental illness. Show Notes To mark World Mental Health Day, we speak with Michael Morrison, founder of The Black Light Principle and mental wellness coach and consultant. Michael is a former Advertising executive who has also struggled with mental health for most of his life. Before starting The Black Light Principle, Michael would spend his days flying around the world, pitching ideas and negotiating million-dollar deals with some of the world's biggest brands. But by night he was wracked with depression and would often spend his time walking around glamorous foreign cities feeling morbid and dreadful. He masked his condition, and realised it was an deeply troubling and exhausting way to live. Michael left advertising to start The Black Light Principle, a platform for him to speak and consult about mental wellness in the workplace, and has become one of Australia's leading authorities on the lived experience of mental illness. The Takeaways How we mask our feelings in unhealthy ways The exhausting nature of the 'get up, get dressed, show up' mentality How we're being pressured to adopt and avatar and be inauthentic at work How small business woners have a unique opportunity to beleaders in workplace mental health culture The tension between strength and vulnerability Find out more about Michael Morrison at https://michaelmorrison.com.au/ The Better Business Podcast is brought to you by Employsure, Australia's largest Workplace Relations consultancy, trusted by more than 20,000 small businesses. Find more helpful business resources on our blog.

'Leaning In' to your Mental Health with Michael Morrison

We live in a world where we are constantly available, always connected and incessantly pulled away from the most important tasks in our personal and professional lives. No matter what, we just never seem to have enough time. But is there something we can do about it? This week we delve into the world of Time Management with renowned expert John Belchamber. Show Notes We live in a world where we are constantly available, always connected and incessantly pulled away from the most important tasks in our personal and professional lives. No matter what, we just never seem to have enough time to do the things we truly want and need to do. Research suggests that just 20% of our average workday is spent on important, high value tasks, while the remainder of that time is spent on things considered as little or no value. Alarmingly, each of us is interrupted — on average — every 8 minutes, creating roughly three hours of wasted time every day. But is there something we can do about it? This week we delve into the world of Time Management with renowned expert John Belchamber. John has been training people in the world of time management and personal productivity for more than 20 years, and is currently the Chief Development Officer of the OrgDev Institute, as well as Partner and Enterprise Relationship Manager at PD Training. We discuss the biggest disruptors to our working day and how to overcome them to effectively manage our time. The Take-Aways Why daily huddle meetings are an effective way to prevent interruptions How knowing your own behavioural style and personality is fundamental to managing your time Developing a team charter and respecting people's boundaries and working styles Setting goals using the DART OPUS principle Taking away learned helplessness in staff and not being afraid to eliminate unnecessary tasks *Special Offer for Better Business Podcast Listeners* Visit www.psychometricprofiling.org/start and use the Survey Code ‘Business’ for your own free, personal Behavioural Profile. The Better Business Podcast is brought to you by Employsure, Australia's largest Workplace Relations consultancy, trusted by more than 20,000 small businesses. Find more helpful business resources on our blog.

Time Management with John Belchamber

This month, our Employment Relations Expert Thorunn Arnadottir stops by to talk us through the new Family and Domestic Violence Leave entitlement. All Modern Awards in Australia have been changed to include 5 days of unpaid family and domestic violence leave. This is now a compulsory entitlement for all employees covered by modern awards, including casuals. It's welcome news for people who need it most, but what does it mean for small business owners? In this episode we discuss: The new entitlement and how it applies to small business The delicate issue of asking for proof What an employer can do if they suspect an employee is experiencing domestic violence, but won’t talk about it What an employer should do if an employee comes to them requesting domestic violence leave The Better Business Podcast is brought to you by Employsure, Australia's largest Workplace Relations consultancy, trusted by more than 20,000 small businesses. Find more helpful business resources on our blog.

Essentials Update: Family and Domestic Violence Leave

How do you manage a millennial workforce? Katie Acheson, the CEO of Youth Action, and business coach Evan Goodman join the Better Business Podcast to discuss what small business owners and employers can do to recruit, manage and retain millennial workers. Also joining the show is Employment Relations Expert Thorunn Arnadottir who chats about the recent changes to the Minimum Wage and Penalty Rates. The Better Business Podcast is brought to you by Employsure, Australia's largest Workplace Relations consultancy, trusted by more than 20,000 small businesses. Find more helpful business resources on our blog.

Managing Millennials with Katie Acheson and Evan Goodman

The Better Business Podcast by Employsure tackles the big issues in small business. Featuring interviews with some of the industry's brightest minds, each episode is packed with practical tips, advice and strategies to help you build a better business. Employsure is Australia and New Zealand's leading Workplace Relations specialist, providing employers with the knowledge and strategies they need to create safe, fair and compliant workplaces.

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