Implementation of Work Choices legislation and its impact on HR professionals.

Essay by naina_afrinCollege, UndergraduateA, February 2009

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The purpose of preparing this essay is to assess the changed role of human resource practitioners as a consequence of the introduction of the Work Choices legislation in Australian industrial relations system. This case study also investigates the need for caution on the part of such practitioners in implementing the provisions of this new legislation. The essay starts with a brief introduction to the current Australian industrial relations system. Then it analyses Work Choices legislation and compares it with the previous legislation 'Workplace Relations Act 1996'. It also examines the changes that will occur in organisational human resource practices. When there are changes in the organisation's human resource strategy, it also brings changes to the organisation's overall strategic goal which at the same time requires changes in managing the entire workforce. Considering these changes, gradually this essay comes to the conclusion and evaluates why human resource professionals also have to be careful about their activities and how they will manage to practice Work Choices in a logical and fair way to build a dynamic and collaborative culture in their organisations.

With the aim of transforming the industrial relations system from a centralised process to a decentralised and enterprise level system, the present conservative Liberal government has actually followed a radical step-by-step reformation process. As the final outcome the Work Choices legislation has been introduced in December 2005 and it came into effect March 2006. This legislation is an amendment of the previous legislation 'Workplace Relations Act of 1996'. The legislation has some basic features like an AWA agreement must only meet the following five conditions, which are: minimum wage $12.75 per hour, 38 hours per week ordinary working time which can be averaged over 1 year period and overtime hours pay must be negotiated, 4 weeks annual leave with 2...