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WAHM Newsletters>
Just Ask Bridee | Ask An Expert | Career Advice
Here are a selection of the best questions hand picked last month answered by our resident career expert Ms Bridee Clifton.
As we often get swamped with questions from readers we ask you to please be patient with us. Bridee will answer personally. If you have a question please send through via the WAHM Contact Form.
Part time work whilst on Parental Leave
Dear Bridee
I am 15 weeks into my 52 weeks of parental leave and I am thinking about taking an opportunity to work part time with an organisation other than my current employer, am I allowed to do this?, Suzie
Hi Suzie,
You may work for another employer whilst on parental leave provided you do not compromise your current employment relationship. I would suggest that it is best to approach your current employer about this situation to ascertain their thoughts and ultimately approval. As long as this opportunity does not affect your current employment, such as working for a competitor, you are entitled to work for another employer. Another thing to consider is that your current employer may ask you to enter into an agreement to declare that you will not undertake anything that will jeopardise your employment whilst on parental leave. It is best to be completely up front and transparent with your current employer so as to ensure a smooth transition back to your role when you have completed your parental leave and any possible breach of employment contract.
Good luck with the part time opportunity, Bridee
Harassed at Work
I am currently being harassed by a very senior male member of the company I work for. What should I do? Melissa.
Hi Melissa,
Firstly, you should get a hold of your Harassment policy. The contents of this policy will provide you with information on the avenues available to you to report and escalate this behaviour. Harassment and bullying in the workplace is taken very seriously and you should voice your concerns immediately. You haven’t provided a lot of detail however you should also consider that perhaps this person is not completely aware of the affect of his behaviour, depending on the severity of his behaviour of course. If you find that the grievance process outlined in your organisations policy has not provided you with a satisfactory outcome or the harassment continues you have other avenues through the relevant authority in your local state. Should you wish to find out more about the relevant authority please post another question with details of the state you reside and I will do my best to assist. Bridee
Change in Pay Day
Dear Bridee,
Recently my employer announced that he was changing our pay period from fortnightly to monthly pays, where I will be paid 2 weeks in advance and 2 weeks in arrears, and this would be implemented in 4 weeks. I have checked my employment contract and it does state that I will be paid fortnightly in arrears. I am concerned that this change in pay period is going to cause me financial burden, is there anything I can do? Chris
Dear Chris,
Your employer is permitted to make this change provided he has given employees a ‘reasonable’ amount of notice. The four weeks you have stated, sounds like a reasonable timeframe. You should of course voice your concerns with your employer because usually in the initial stages of the change, employers are more likely to flexibly assist your transition to the new pay period should you be experiencing financial difficulty. You should also consider that once this change takes place you will have an extra 2 weeks in your pocket as you will now be paid 2 weeks in advance. Hope this helps. Bridee
My Commission Plan Ambiguity
Dear Bridee,
I am currently employed in a work from home situation where my duties involve sales. I have a specific Sales Plan which details targets and certain terms and conditions. In my Sales Plan it says the following: The terms and conditions of this Sales Plan may be changed at the discretion of management.
I am in a situation now where this Sales Plan was agreed and signed for this year at the beginning of January and now my employer has made substantial changes to the Sales Plan that apparently I must abide by. Are they allowed to make such changes without my agreement? Thanks, Mark.
Dear Mark,
This can be a tricky one. The fact that you have already signed an agreement which sets out certain terms and conditions of your employment for the coming year, usually means that an employer should consult with their employees regarding the changes prior to implementing. In these circumstances, it is always best to come to a mutual agreement, thereby reducing any resistance. The fact that your employer has disclosed in the Sales Plan that changes may be made at the discretion of management provides them with an initial argument should this matter become a workplace dispute, although this may not give them the authority they are hoping to hold. My best advice is to consult your employer on the changes and your thoughts on those changes, then make a decision on how you would like to proceed. If you are still unhappy with the changes then I suggest you get a hold of your internal grievance policy and follow the steps in the policy to lodge a formal grievance with the appropriate person in your organisation. I hope you gain an amicable outcome. Bridee
Out of Work
Dear Bridee,
I have just finished 52 weeks of maternity leave and was due to return to work this week only to find out that I was being made redundant due to the effect the financial crisis has had on my organisation. I have specialised skills in IT and am worried that in this economic climate I will be out of work for many months, which I just cannot afford. Do you have any suggestions, considering you are working in this field? Karen
Hi Karen,
I have some good news for you. If you have specialised skills in IT then you are more than likely in demand. I know from experience recently, my organisation was looking for a specialised skill set and in our current market we had extreme difficulty. We exhausted every avenue we could think of and eventually commenced to look overseas for suitable candidates. I have numerous contacts with specialised IT recruitment firms so if you would like to send me further details on your specialised skill set I could easily point you in the right direction. You may also like to consider contracting as opportunities for contractors are growing in this economic climate. This is due to organisations looking at cost cutting and when engaging contractors businesses reduce their costs in terms of payroll tax, workers compensation, superannuation etc associated with permanent staff members. Bridee
Am I going to be fired?
Dear Bridee,
Today I had my final performance management meeting with my manager for alleged poor performance. I have not been issued a warning however I was provided with a plan which detailed specific improvements I was told that I was expected to make. This plan provided details of outcomes and timeframes. I am worried that if I do not meet these expectations I will be fired. Can you shed some light? Should I look for another job? Jasmine
Hello Jasmine,
Firstly, you should take some time to reflect on this situation and see it as a positive rather than a negative and then you can truly assess the entire situation. Your employer is taking the time to invest in you by giving you the opportunity to meet the criteria required to undertake your role. They have obviously identified some deficiencies in your skills or attitudes compared to the expectations of the role you undertake however they are believe you have the potential to meet those expectations, thus their action. They have decided on a performance improvement path to give you the opportunity to prove that you have the required skills, experience and attitude to meet the expectations of the role. This path is known as a ‘Performance Improvement Plan’. You are now in a good position, as your employer has provided you a plan in black and white of their expectations and therefore you can go about actioning that plan. With all this information you can also assess whether you believe you have the ability to meet those expectations. If you feel that you are unable to meet those requirements then yes, perhaps you should consider alternative employment because although this time you are being provided with a plan for improvement if you fail to meet those expected improvements your employer will move towards a performance management process which may involve warnings and eventually lead to termination. I am sure you will make the right decision after informed consideration. Best of luck, Bridee
Ask Bridee
The information presented in the ‘Ask Bridee’ section of this website does not constitute legal advice, but only general guidance on questions posted.
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