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The recently introduced Right to Disconnect has myriad benefits for employees, but also invites questions about how and why workers and their employers set boundaries with and for each other. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with shilo.people CEO and co-founder Ilona Charles about how and why boundaries can inadvertently impact flexible working arrangements, the nexus to the Right to Disconnect and whether the new legislation locks workers into certain arrangements, navigating different staff needs and generational attitudes, why boundaries are important in their own right, what employers need to be asking of themselves, practical steps to be taken, and why better management on this front is so imperative.

With the cost of workplace mental ill health projected to exceed $27 billion a year in Australia over the next 15 years, employers have a critical role to play in creating mentally healthy and safe workplaces – and the economic case for action is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Professor Margo Lydon, executive director and co-lead of Mentally Healthy Workplaces Australia, about the growing economic toll of workplace mental ill health, how absenteeism, presenteeism, staff turnover and reduced workforce participation are undermining productivity, why these costs are expected to escalate over the coming decades, the establishment of Australia's world-first national initiative to address the issue, how employers and other stakeholders can work together to drive meaningful change, and the significant economic and productivity benefits that could flow from investing in mentally healthy and safe workplaces.

Given Australia's ageing population, it is high time that employers think more seriously about how best to manage workers who have carer responsibilities for elderly family members – and move beyond thinking of such responsibilities as confined to caring for young children. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with health and ageing policy specialist Dr Abby Bloom about the need for Australia to "step up to the plate" in responding to our ageing population and its impact upon our workforce, how and why demographics will be so consequential for workers, the more common ailments being faced, why workers are increasingly being required to look after their parents, how employers have traditionally treated such carer responsibilities, the slow pace at which employers are shifting attitudes, the business case for such change, duties of team leaders and executives, and pathways that should be explored.

Optimism abounds that emerging technologies like AI will improve access to justice. However, as one law professor's research has found, there is scant evidence to suggest that AI is actually helping aggrieved workers achieve desired outcomes. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast – brought to you from our sister brand, Lawyers Weekly – host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Professor Alysia Blackham of Melbourne Law School about her forthcoming research paper, Artificial Intelligence and Access to Justice for Problems at Work: Enabling or Challenging Legal Pathways in the Fair Work Commission?, and its findings about the extent to which justice is currently accessible, the pressure being placed on Fair Work Commission and other jurisdictions, guidance being provided by courts and the significance of that, whether the advent of AI is aiding applicants' prospects or not, the broader implications for legal practitioners and the justice system, and how best employers can and should be responding in the current climate.

In this special episode of The Legal Brief, produced in partnership with Kingston Reid, we unpack what HR teams need to know about the proposed changes to restraint of trade clauses, and, if passed, how employers may need to rethink the way they protect their business, retain talent, and safeguard key customer relationships. Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Kingston Reid partner Emily Baxter about the reforms proposed by the Albanese government, including a ban on non-compete and co-worker non-solicitation clauses, a new statutory framework for permitted restraints, and a prohibition on cascading clauses. They also discuss the practical steps employers may wish to start thinking about even now, from reviewing employment contracts and protecting confidential information to strengthening retention strategies and workplace culture in an increasingly competitive labour market. To learn more about Kingston Reid, click here.

In this special episode of The HR Leader Podcast, produced in partnership with Harmers Workplace Lawyers, we detail what constitutes best practice for workplaces in undertaking investigations against the backdrop of increased regulatory scrutiny. Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Jenny Inness, Harmers Workplace Lawyers executive counsel and team leader, about the uptick in workplace investigations and why this is happening, the need for a case-by-case approach to navigating conflict, overcoming challenges that arise in such investigations, consequences that arise from not conducting an investigation correctly, the nexus between such investigations and workers' psychological safety, plus how law firms retain independence when assisting with investigations, the need to engage with law firms, and more. To register for Jenny's upcoming webinar on "Managing mental health in the workplace", click here. To learn more about Harmers Workplace Lawyers, click here.

According to one former CPO, the phenomenon of workers abruptly having to leave the workplace after raising issues or concerns is not as isolated as one might think or expect. Here, she unpacks why workers might be "disappeared" from a workplace, what it says about employers' thinking, and the impacts upon workforces across the market.   In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Carole Cooper, former chief people officer and Carole Cooper Consulting founder, to discuss the increasing prevalence of instances of workers "getting disappeared" from the workplace, why employers may behave in such ways, the flow-on consequences for remaining staff in the workplace, the legal and regulatory parameters around such action, how HR can respond, and the evergreen need to build and maintain the right kind of culture – particularly against top-down issues.

New data suggests that workers are increasingly optimistic about the job market, are seeing greater vocational opportunities, and thus have less intent to stay with their current employers. What does this mean for employees and businesses alike? In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back Gartner director analyst in HR Neal Woolrich to discuss Gartner's recently released Global Talent Monitor survey and its headline findings and takeaways, what's causing an uptick in worker confidence and why, flow-on consequences for the labour market, how employers can and should be responding, the need for open, honest dialogue with the workforce, and whether AI wellbeing officers should be employed by businesses.

In this special episode of The HR Leader Podcast, produced in partnership with Dynamic Leadership Programs Australia (DLPA), we unpack how employers and the HR function can better navigate shifting demands from the workforce in FY2026–27 and beyond. Host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back DLPA chief executive Karlie Cremin to discuss how workers are staying in jobs for longer (thereby amplifying the need to build better engagement), the headline factors driving evolving employee expectations and why they are accelerating, the place for wellness in this conversation, the impact of "scope creep", what employees are generally expecting and why, the desire to have idiosyncratic needs accomodated, generational differences, practical steps that employers should be taking, and how HR can help bridge divides. To learn more about Dynamic Leadership Programs Australia (DLPA), click here.

There is a perfect storm of workplace issues, from the need for productivity to the age of AI, that are driving worker burnout, presenteeism, and a range of other health issues. Against this backdrop, employers and HR teams must act swiftly to improve cultural health and avoid looming, unsustainable drop-offs in worker output, satisfaction, and happiness. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with The Culture Institute of Australia chief executive Karl Treacher, who is also the author of Built to Burn, to discuss whether workers' holistic health has ever been worse in Australia, why we are approaching a point of no return, how cognisant business leaders are about such issues, how we got to this point, the scourge of increased productivity on workers' wellness, the role AI is playing in accelerating such issues, what employers must do about it, the role of HR, and solutions that can and should be implemented.

In this special episode of The HR Leader Podcast, produced in partnership with Dynamic Leadership Programs Australia (DLPA), we explore how and why skills are becoming increasingly more important than one's qualifications and what it means for how HR must view professional development moving forward.  Host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back DLPA chief executive Karlie Cremin to discuss the extent to which professional development is dropping down the priority list against a tough economic environment, why it is actually a pressing concern, why traditional approaches to professional development may no longer be fit for purpose, the extent to which employers are looking to make necessary pivots, the skills that are critical right now, ensuring proper return on investment, what works and doesn't work in shifting the team's approach to professional development, and what DLPA has observed and can offer to businesses looking to evolve the approach to growing and training workers.  To learn more about DLPA, click here.

In this special episode of The HR Leader Podcast, produced in partnership with ELMO, we explore AI as a workforce transformation from the perspective of the HR function. What does a tangible impact look like? And how ELMO's own journey shows HR teams how to reduce overwhelm, build capability, improve process design, and take on a more strategic role. Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with ELMO global chief people officer Anne Tosky about why AI transformation is workforce transformation, why Australian businesses are falling behind what ELMO learnt on its own journey, and the practical, evidence-based steps HR can take, from engaging staff in open dialogue to using ELMO's AI Maturity Assessment tool. To learn more about ELMO's AI Maturity Assessment tool, and to learn more about ELMO, click here.

Bolstering the technological proficiencies of staff has to be a collaborative process with the workers on the ground, rather than a top-down dictation, at a time of voluminous market change. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Grant Thornton head of digital capability and enablement Jemma Hirst about her background in L&D, what's inspiring large businesses to invest time and energy into AI capability uplifts, the challenges in doing so, how Grant Thornton undertook the process of uplifting the workforce's AI capabilities, the need for bottom-up feedback rather than top-down communication, the need for a people-led approach, lessons learnt, and guidance to other businesses in learning from Grant Thornton's successes.

In this special episode of The Legal Brief, produced in partnership with Kingston Reid, we explore how HR professionals can harness the benefits of artificial intelligence while managing the legal and practical risks that come with it. Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Kingston Reid partner Michael Stutley about the growing role of AI in workplace decision making, investigations, and people management – from the risks of automation bias, over-reliance on AI-generated outputs, and the misuse of sensitive employee information to sharing practical guidance on governance, privacy and the importance of keeping humans in the loop. The conversation also outlines a series of practical "golden rules" for responsible AI use, helping HR professionals and employers embrace new technology with confidence while maintaining procedural fairness, accountability, and trust. To learn more about Kingston Reid, click here.

New technologies are reshaping daily operations and processes, but – since every workplace has access to such tools – what will truly separate businesses from the pack is how they harness and grow their people. In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with an organisational psychologist and the former head of strategic talent at the IMD Business School in Switzerland, Tania Lennon, the ongoing shift in perspective about people, leadership, and talent, the need to future-proof businesses, necessary workplace capabilities moving forward, taking a holistic approach to leadership development succession planning, strengthening productivity and innovation without losing key human skills, and the essential role of HR moving forward.