I’m coming to you this week from beautiful Bendigo, where today we hosted one of our important Regional Roundtables. Hearing directly from business and industry is the best way for us to really get to the heart of our members’ concerns and challenges.

The Federal Government is currently considering changes to privacy laws so it is timely for employers to ensure they understand their obligations to employees.

We are gearing up for our highly-anticipated Victorian Chamber Presents: Victoria – the home of innovation event next week. Political and industry leaders, entrepreneurs and visionaries will come together to reveal future trends and explore strategies to foster innovation in the business landscape.

The Fair Work Commission (FWC) found an employee was harshly dismissed after expressing his desire to quit in a heated argument.

Taking the temperature of the Victorian business community over the past few weeks, there is a distinctive chill in the confidence barometer. 

I was fortunate to catch up this week with an extremely impressive woman in Freda Miriklis, Chair of the Commonwealth Businesswomen’s Network (CBWN). The Victorian Chamber first cemented our connection with the CWBN in Geneva at the World Chambers Congress, where our Chamber Change program was a finalist in the Best Gender Equity Project category in the World Chambers Competition. It was great to discuss how we are going to collaborate with the CWBN to continue our work to help empower women in business.

Wage underpayments can result in long audits, costly penalties and reputational damage to your business.

I hope this finds you well. I, for one, am still buzzing from last night’s Victorian Chamber President’s Dinner – our night of nights where we get to celebrate our members and the contribution that business makes to our great state.

Employees have access to 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave in a 12-month period under new laws.

It’s important for employers to keep abreast of legislative changes and the business landscape to secure an enterprise agreement (EA) that benefits your business and employees.

Ethnic name discrimination highlights glass ceilings do exist in the workplace, according to a Monash Business School study.

In another busy week for the Victorian Chamber, the hallways of our Collins St headquarters on Tuesday best demonstrated the role we play across all levels and sides of government.

The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia has found an employer unlawfully dismissed an employee after learning about their ADHD and autism diagnosis and medication use.

While we usually open with a positive message, there is no way to sugarcoat the blow of the news that Victoria will no longer be hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

From verbal warnings to disciplinary hearings, managers and employers will be required to take the lead in these challenging exchanges with employees as part of accountability measures in the workplace.

I want to kick this week’s message off by extending my heartfelt congratulations to Travis Auld on behalf of the Victorian and Melbourne Chambers, on his appointment as the new Chief Executive of the Australian Grand Prix.