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May 15 2017

KFC Fined For Employee Injury

Last week KFC were fined $105,000 after an employee was injured at work.

Here is the link to the article in HC Online http://www.hcamag.com/hr-news/kfc-fined-105000-after-employee-fell-into-boiling-oil-236224.aspx

The key elements of this story include:
– young workers who are around the same age may need extra support
– training needs reinforcement
– accidents happen and serious injuries can be inflicted quite quickly
– employers are always responsible

The fine may seem high however this is not the first time that a KFC employee has fallen into hot oil. There is little doubt that this was a factor in the case.

In a HR wrap sense the three key points to make are:
1. Training must be supported by standard operating procedures and supervision

2. The definition of “employer” in an OHS sense includes the supervisor and management structure. Individuals can be fined as well as the company

3. Communication is critical

Ways To Avoid Workplace Bias

Bias in decision making often shows itself as discrimination and this article from McKinsey highlights an innovative approach to addressing it

http://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/a-case-study-in-combating-bias?cid=other-eml-alt-mkq-mck-oth-1705&hlkid=ce5ee43627e44d88917194694198bd56&hctky=1258028&hdpid=006e8e77-20d7-4b13-b6bb-54c07612552a

The concept of appointing a devils advocate, a specific role to ask the awkward questions, is not new however many companies may find it hard to justify.

The 3 key elements for readers here are:
1. Encourage different points of view at all times from all people involved in the company as paying a specific person to do that is probably unsustainable

2. Communication involves our ability to hear different views without taking offense or rejection.

3. Diversity of thought and experience will be a natural way to reduce bias

Guidelines And Tips From The Legal View

The final segment this week has tips and guidelines from two law firms

The first from Westmore Jacobs includes tips to avoid the most common mistakes in HR policies

http://www.westmorejacobs.com.au/2017/04/18/2040/

The second via HC online is about work from home policy. There have been a number of cases of OHS issues and workcover claims from people working at hime so this is well worth reading

http://www.hcamag.com/hr-news/legal-guidelines-for-work-from-home-arrangements-236311.aspx
Some practical tips to end the wrap up this week