I have heard it said by professional advisors that ‘managing employees’ is akin to ‘supervising children’.
As a general employer attitude, this is obviously wrong on many fronts. Wrong, because it undermines the belief that for most of the time on most days, employees across Australia are doing the right thing.
Nearly all employees require little management, they are autonomous and they are hard working.
If the advisor’s attitude is to manage employees like ‘children’, then it is little wonder that some employer’s (who rely on that advice) approach management decisions from completely the wrong angle.
Recently, the Fair Work Ombudsman commenced a Federal Circuit Court claim against an employer’s third party advisor. It alleges that the third party advisor was complicit in the employer’s breach of the Fair Work Act.
Perhaps this type of claim by the FWO may seek to remedy the actions of employer’s who (on advice) act to belittle their employees.
We’re doing our best to change the attitude …
