The Victorian Chamber’s Workplace Relations and Wellbeing team delivers valuable services to businesses of all shapes and sizes across the state, adopting a proactive, informed, and practical approach to ensure businesses can navigate the complex regulatory framework and see positive and meaningful results.

The team conducts hundreds of consultations per year including mediations, appearances at the Fair Work Commission, compliance reviews and assistance with enterprise agreement negotiations. The team monitors all key industrial relations developments to ensure all tools, templates and resources are accurate and up to date.

Many Victorian Businesses consider the Workplace Relations Advice Line to be an extension of their business, providing instant information and often avoiding the need for a dedicated HR and workplace relations expert or bolstering in-house capability and capacity.

The Workplace Relations Advice Line

Trying to deal with workplace issues but don’t know where to start? Before you take any action, call our expert team.

On any given week, the team answers 400-500 calls, amounting to 20,000 to 25,000 per year. If you think your business is in trouble, know that you are not alone.

The team answers questions covering a breadth of subjects, including:

• Wages
• Award/Enterprise Agreement interpretation
• Performance Management process
• Disciplinary Action
• Redundancy
• Termination
• Fair Work Claims
• Mental health claims and concerns

Examples of specific enquiries include:

1. An employee is consistently taking time off work. They sometimes provide medical certificates and sometimes nothing. We are tired of having to manage the absence and its effect on the team. What do we do?
2. An employee who just commenced with the business and has disclosed that they are pregnant and going to need time off in the next few months. Where do we stand?
3. A male employee was using derogatory and inappropriate language with his female coworker. We have concerns about the employee’s health and safety, what do we do?
4. An employee is on a lengthy period of personal leave due to health reasons. We recently found out she has been falsifying her workload to increase her commission. Do we need to wait until she returns from personal leave before taking action?
5. An employee has been limping frequently and we are concerned about their fitness for work. He says he is fine. Can we send him for a fit-for-work assessment?
6. An employee has been employed here for 12 months and has not attended work for a few days in a row without any explanation. What do we do?
7. An employee resigned and provided four weeks’ notice but has not been coming to work or following our policies and procedures. Can we reduce the notice period and finish their employment?
8. An employee has a record of poor attendance without satisfactory reason. The employee acknowledged our warning and expectations but continues not attending work. Can we terminate the employee?
9. Two employees job share a role. One works three days and the other two. One is more experienced and has been in the business for longer than the other. Can we pay them a higher hourly rate?
10. We need help understanding our obligations and improving mental health and wellbeing amongst our workers. Where do we start?

Member example

Crayola is known to most of us for its range crayons and art supplies. To Crayola, the Victorian Chamber is known for our online HR resources, policy and checklist templates.

Its local arm has 30 employees made up of a small warehouse team and office team, meaning timely and resourceful advice isn’t always easy to come by in a shifting regulatory landscape. That’s where the Victorian Chamber comes in.

Crayola has benefited from the Victorian Chamber advice line assistance on performance management, award interpretation and workplace policy matters.

“We get an almost immediate answer with a knowledgeable advisor from the advice line,” the company says.

“Compared to other services where wait times would be rather lengthy and responses more vague, The Victorian Chamber has a lot more resources and we receive good, friendly customer service.”

Accessing the Advice Line

Our local knowledgeable advisors are trained to provide your business with up-to-date information, whatever your industry or size.

Call 03 8662 5222 from Monday-Friday between 9:00am-5:00pm or email WRadviceline@victorianchamber.com.au.

Not a member? Enquire about access via our Workplace Rleations Advice Line page.