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    Student protesters at Melbourne University on Wednesday afternoon.

    ‘End it now or we’ll call police’: Uni toughens up on protesters

    Melbourne University says protesters ‘crossed a line’ when they occupied a building and warned they could be charged by police if they don’t leave immediately.

    • Updated
    • Julie Hare and Patrick Durkin
    A crowd of about 30 to 40 men in CFMEU-branded clothing at the Centenary Bridge Upgrade site on May 14.

    CFMEU blockade ‘drives up costs’ on state project

    An allegedly illegal CFMEU blockade has cost a Queensland infrastructure project $300,000 and will cause weeks of delays, according to the principal contractor.

    • David Marin-Guzman

    Migration hit would ‘destroy’ $48b education export sector

    Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s plan to slash Australia’s annual permanent migrant intake from 185,000 to 140,000 would deliver a near fatal blow to the country’s fourth-largest export.

    • Julie Hare

    Why it’s harder to sack bad workers

    HR managers say they are finding it increasingly difficult to dismiss employees even when they have fair and valid reasons because of provisions protecting staff who exercise workplace rights.

    • Euan Black

    The union movement is about to break into Aldi

    Aldi’s long history of non-union pay deals has been disrupted as workers reject the supermarket giant’s offer for the first time in decades.

    • David Marin-Guzman

    Grant Thornton adopts nine-day fortnight, but staff have to earn it

    The accounting firm’s year-long trial coincided with record productivity, employee retention and profits.

    • Euan Black

    Recent columns

    Domestic violence is also a workplace issue

    Governments should take the lead on the problem, but other groups can do more, including employers. Companies can achieve much more than many imagine.

    Pilita Clark

    Columnist

    Pilita Clark

    Business school blather can’t beat real-world CEO know-how

    What’s needed is a new management theory that avoids the deceptive certainties of neoliberalism and the equally deceptive vagaries of stakeholder capitalism.

    Adrian Wooldridge

    Contributor

    Employees want more autonomy, so it’s in bosses’ interest to listen

    Convinced that happier workers are also more productive, Australia’s most progressive employers are giving staff greater freedom and choice.

    Euan Black

    Work and careers reporter

    Euan Black

    No amount of leave offerings will compensate for poor leadership

    Companies can have all the flexible and hybrid work arrangements and offer all the leave entitlements under the sun, but if their leaders are poor at leading, they will count for naught.

    Sally Patten

    BOSS editor

    Sally Patten
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    This Month

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    Go8 Universities agree to combat racism, uphold free speech

    Australia’s oldest and most prestigious universities have set out five principles, as Deakin University prepares for a showdown with campus protesters.

    • Patrick Durkin and Julie Hare

    Adam Powick failed to make partner twice. Now he runs Deloitte

    The chief executive says when people fail to get a promotion, they are often told they are doing a good job and should continue along the same path. He reckons that advice is “BS”.

    • Ciara Seccombe and Lap Phan
    This photo of Harold Mitchell in his Melbourne apartment in 2020 taken by the AFR featured heavily in Monday’s service.

    A complex legend: Harold Mitchell farewelled by billionaires, underworld figures

    Advertising guru and philanthropist Harold Mitchell has been celebrated as a “larger than life” but complex legend.

    • Updated
    • Patrick Durkin
    The University of Melbourne has maintained top spot in a new ranking.

    Three Australian unis make it into new global top 100

    The Universities of Melbourne, Sydney and NSW are in the latest Centre for World University Rankings, but there are concerns about the nation’s research output.

    • Julie Hare
    International students are less welcome as a result of government migration reforms.

    ‘Horrible on every level’: Universities object to migration changes

    Changes to limit the number of foreign students at educational colleges, universities and schools are highly interventionist and prescribe not only where students can study but what they can learn, providers said.

    • Updated
    • Julie Hare
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    Aged care unions rejected government concerns a large pay rise for the sector could fuel labour shortages elsewhere.

    Aged care providers back delaying pay rises

    Aged care employers have supported the government’s proposal to phase-in aged care pay rises, clashing with unions who are demanding the full rise by July 1.

    • David Marin-Guzman
    Dozens of men have more than five separate domestic violence victims each.

    Domestic violence is also a workplace issue

    Governments should take the lead on the problem, but other groups can do more, including employers. Companies can achieve much more than many imagine.

    • Pilita Clark
    The CFMEU marching on Labour Day in Queensland.

    CFMEU in ‘open defiance’ of the law: judges

    Federal Court judges said the CFMEU “simply regards itself as free to disobey the law” and 25 years of fines have done nothing to stop it.

    • David Marin-Guzman
    Productivity is often measured in activity, but transactional-type activities can be delegated to AI.

    A glimpse into the work day of 2034

    The workplace of 2034 will be more dynamic and collaborative than simply looking busy when you sense the boss approaching.

    Sponsored 

    by Slack

    In the future AI will handle routine tasks, allowing humans to focus on leveraging their expertise, creativity, and relationships.

    First movers already embracing the power of AI

    At the coalface of AI adoption, pioneering companies across industries ranging from software behemoths to nimble crane drivers are setting the pace for the future of work.

    Sponsored 

    by Slack

    Taking time to focus on “deep work” or on a single task without distractions – boosts productivity and often yields better, higher quality work.

    Businesses have fresh imperatives to leverage AI in the workplace

    Taking time to focus on “deep work” or on a single task without distractions – boosts productivity and often yields better, higher quality work.

    Sponsored 

    by Slack

    Businesses of all sizes can access top talent worldwide, transcending geographical boundaries.

    High-tech road to global talent pool

    Australian firms are entering a new era of talent acquisition with the adoption of a revolutionary platform redefining the landscape of global team management.

    Sponsored 

    by Remote

    Telstra boss Vicki Brady

    Why so many top executives start in accounting, consulting

    BOSS delves into the career paths of the senior executives at Australia’s 20 biggest companies to discover where they started – and the critical skills and experience they gained.

    • Sally Patten
    .

    ‘The gap below Cartier and Tiffany’: Michael Hill’s luxury play

    ASX-listed jeweller Michael Hill has been undergoing a major rebranding exercise.

    • Updated
    • Patrick Durkin
    “You can’t get in the door here at Macquarie [Telecom] without customer service in your DNA,” says Luke Clifton.

    Embedding customer service brings its own rewards

    Companies that know how to satisfy customers – and deal with complaints ‘enthusiastically’ – can inspire a feel-good workplace culture.

    Sponsored 

    by Macquarie Telecom

    Advertisement
    Pro-union Starbucks employees in Washington last March. The company was one of the first to pay executives more to implement DEI policies. It has now shifted executive incentives back towards financial performance.

    Big US companies are pulling back diversity policies

    Facing a legal, social and political backlash, America’s diversity, equality and inclusion industry is starting to reassess and rebrand.

    • Taylor Telford and Julian Mark
    TAL executive Jade Rosocha is ar frequent user of Microsoft Copilot.

    Why this executive uses generative AI every second hour

    Microsoft says workers who use AI can be divided into four camps: sceptics, novices, explorers and power users, who get back more than 30 minutes a day in time saved.

    • Euan Black
    Former human resources executive Donna Young.

    Accenture warned of ‘$40m back-pay risk’ for overtime

    A former human resources executive claims she warned Accenture’s board it was at risk of having to pay up to $40 million to staff who worked excessive hours.

    • David Marin-Guzman
    SCHF director of people and culture Mariam Hares says that in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, “flexibility, culture, wellbeing and … purpose” have emerged as key priorities for employees.

    Flexibility the new quid pro quo in the workplace

    With employees holding more bargaining power post-pandemic, enterprises are embracing wide-ranging trade-offs to retain staff and motivate them.

    Sponsored 

    by Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation

    
The Moddex team which has grown to more than 140 workers.

    Giving employees a real stake in the game can motivate, drive profitability

    Having a financial share in a business – and a voice to go with it – can underpin a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.

    Sponsored 

    by Moddex