Jan 10, 2024
Growing up, Dave wanted to be a geologist, but now he finds joy in simple things like tending to his raspberries and taking care of chickens and enjoying a gin.
Dave has been in the region for about nine or ten years and has a strong connection to the community. He loves the mountains and feels a bit out of place without them. He used to live near the coast, but now he appreciates beach holidays.
According to Dave, the best coffee is the one he roasts at home using a makeshift setup. He has been doing it for years and doesn’t see himself stopping anytime soon. He also thinks the best food in the region is at his house; Linda is an amazing cook, and Dave is a willing taste tester.
One of Dave’s memorable experiences was a U2 concert in Stuttgart in 1993. He and Linda were in Italy and saw someone wearing a U2 concert t-shirt with the tour dates on the back. They saw there was an upcoming concert in Stuttgart and decided then and there that they would go. They managed to get there and find some last-minute tickets and saw an incredible show. After the concert, they camped under an overhang at a caravan park due to a lack of a tent and the pouring rain. All in all, they called it a success.
Outside of work, Dave has various hobbies, including golfing and fishing. His reluctant answer to his go-to karaoke anthem is “Bow River” by Cold Chisel.
Dave’s travel plans include Japan next year, and he dreams of seeing the Earth from space. If he could instantly become an expert in something, he’d choose to be an astronaut. He’d like to be able to know that the flat earthers are wrong, for his own peace of mind.
If Dave had to spend a day in someone else’s shoes, it would be his wife’s, just to see what she deals with daily and understand her perspective better. His philosophy in life is straightforward: “I’m along for the ride.”
In our team, his unique background and perspective contribute to our collective success, making him an integral part of our professional family. We also enjoy all the fruits of Dave and Linda’s garden – and he makes a good gin too!
Guides to help you uncover human resource insights, and make the right changes to improve team delight.
Dec 12, 2023
For us at Total HRM, our year in review is about celebrating and reflecting on client and team milestones, additional ways we’ve supported our clients and broader business community and legal wins for our clients.
Here’s our 2023 year in review.
There have been a few changes to the Total HRM team this year. We’ve welcomed Sarah and Rebecca to the team, each bringing a wealth of industry, HR and customer service experience. Kim celebrated five years with us, and we welcomed our youngest recruit, Amelia, to the Total HRM team, with doting dad Ash becoming a first-time parent.
As exciting as it is to welcome new faces to the team, we were just as excited to see our team members spread their wings. Tom, Felicity, and Caitlin have accepted new opportunities to further their careers. For us, it’s all about living our vision, enabling every person in every workplace to improve themselves, their team and their results.
The Training Space was designed to be a place for learning, connecting and sharing. It’s fully equipped with a projector, webcam and AV connectivity, so it has everything you need for a collaborative session. This year, we’ve hosted large 20 to 30-person training sessions, after-hours product launches, breakfasts, and events with in-person and virtual attendees.
We’re excited to continue Leading Others in 2024. The feedback and response from this year’s session have been invaluable and overwhelmingly positive. The 10-week course helps participants develop the strong foundations to be influential leaders. Whether you’re new to a leadership role or looking to upskill, we share practical tips and best practice methods for getting the most out of your teams.
Some of the most valuable topics for participants include adding new tools to their leadership toolbox and learning to adapt their communication style based on the DiSC framework.
In 2023, we’ve worked with around 40 new clients, from government agencies to small businesses. We’ve worked across a wide range of projects with new and existing clients, including board reviews, investigations, recruitment, process reviews, and legislation compliance. One of the largest projects we worked on involved an organisational restructuring, including executive and administrator consultation, employee structure creation, and union consultation.
Our clients trust us to find high-performing team members to fill their vacant roles. It’s no secret that 2023 was a challenging year for finding suitable candidates and achieving results like these is truly one of the best parts of what we do.
A significant team milestone in 2023 was Ash’s first Fair Work case win. Ash worked on behalf of the client, guiding them throughout the entire process, including interviews, mediation and conversations with the other party.
“Because the client took our advice from the start, we were able to settle the matter with only an agreement of a statement of service to be provided by the employer. It meant that from the start, the client had a sound and defensible position in order to better defend their case and resulted in no monetary compensation being provided,” Ash said.
We’re looking forward to working with our current clients and welcoming new businesses that need support across all HR functions, from strategic planning and recruitment to investigations and exit strategies.
Leading Others will continue in 2024, with the next 10-week course beginning on Thursday, 8 February. We’re running our Wraw – Workplace Resilience and Wellbeing workshops, helping you understand what resilience is, why it’s important and how to maximise your own.
Learn more about Leading Others and Wraw
Before we jump into the new year, remember to take some time to slow down so you can return to work refreshed and ready to help your team excel.
If you need help with recruitment or strategic planning in 2024, contact our team on 1800 868 254 or set up a meeting.
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Guides to help you uncover human resource insights, and make the right changes to improve team delight.
Sep 05, 2023
Here are some of the key reasons why offering team members flexibility in the workplace is beneficial:
Now we understand the benefits of workplace flexibility, here are seven ways that you can offer workplace flexibility to your team:
Guides to help you uncover human resource insights, and make the right changes to improve team delight.
Aug 22, 2023
Beck’s HR journey started in a bit of a different way – as many of our careers tend to do. She worked as a People & Culture leader, managing people and making sure things ran smoothly, and as time went on, she found herself gravitating towards HR tasks more and more. She became an HR Business Partner at Albury City Council and was involved in the nitty-gritty of how HR works. She’s done everything from hiring the right people to keeping everything moving.
Beyond the office, Beck’s passion for sports is hard to miss. You’ll find her on the netball court every weekend and watching more sports afterwards. Beck loves staying active and competitive – part of what makes her tick. Growing up, she would’ve loved to have played netball for Australia, but she is happy playing in Yackandandah.
Beck has been in the Albury/Wodonga region since she was a kid, with a short stint moving away to the city before returning in 2008. Beck loves everything about our region, especially as she raises her family here. Her favourite thing to do on the weekend is watching her kids play sports. She reasons that now that they’re older, watching and seeing them improve is what she loves. They’re not just a swarm of bees chasing a ball anymore!
You can usually find Beck around the weir with her family, at the local sports grounds, or at the pub watching the afternoon games with everyone. Did we mention she likes sport? Beck would love to get to Canada and explore the mountain regions, especially in the spring when you can hike and see the amazing views. She will also catch a couple of NBA and NHL games while she’s there.
Her willingness to tackle challenges head-on and make difficult decisions aligns with her philosophy of doing what’s right, not just what’s easy. It’s a philosophy that guides her, whether making tough decisions or facing hurdles head-on – which seamlessly fits in with our Total HRM approach.
Beck is a real asset to the team. Her diverse background, operational skills, and dedication to growth make her a standout in HR. We love having Beck’s energy in the office and her ability to keep us in line and move forward with a big smile.
You will see Beck around the office and at our events, so please introduce yourself if you bump into her. Beck is likely to be one of your first points of contact with Total HRM, so there’s no doubt all of you will speak to her soon!
Guides to help you uncover human resource insights, and make the right changes to improve team delight.
Jul 26, 2023
Sarah grew up on a property outside of Yackandandah and moved to Melbourne in 2016 to pursue her career in flying. Sarah’s journey to becoming a key player in our team began as a flight attendant in Melbourne, delivering exceptional customer service with a smile. Sarah was fascinated with leader crew development and her desire to work with people was ignited.
Sarah is already working in the recruitment space and is eager to learn more about our approach to HR and hopes to dive into Training & Facilitation in the future. With her positive outlook and can do attitude, she’s a natural fit for working with others on their professional journeys.
If it weren’t for the constant early mornings, Sarah would’ve loved to have become a famous swimmer and win a few gold medals at the Commonwealth Games. She still loves swimming but at a more reasonable hour of the day. Sarah loves taking her border collie Toby out and about the weir. She also enjoys spending time in our nearby towns of Bright and Harrietville, especially if she has her bike.
When Sarah is out walking or travelling the Hume, she enjoys listening to The Imperfects, The Fitness & Lifestyle Podcast with Danny Kennedy, and occasionally The KIC Pod (Keep It Cleaner).
Sarah Sharwood is a bundle of energy and passion, driving positive change within Total HRM and making every day brighter for her colleagues and clients. Sarah is always happy to help out and take on new challenges, and if she’s a bit hesitant, you can always bribe her with a Caramello Koala!
We’re excited for you all to meet Sarah and work with her, she is a joy to be around. If you see Sarah at any of our events or around town, please say hi and introduce yourself!
Guides to help you uncover human resource insights, and make the right changes to improve team delight.
Jun 27, 2023
Paid parental leave will be combined with the current Dad and Partner Pay entitlement, taking the combined total for partnered couples to 20 weeks paid parental leave between them. Parents who are single at the time of their claim can access the full 20 weeks.
The changes will affect parents whose babies are born or adopted from July 2023. The Labor government aims to progressively increase it to 26 weeks by 2026.
Other changes include:
Employers should review their parental leave policies and practices to ensure compliance with these changes by 1 July 2023. If you would like advice or assistance to update your policies, please get in touch with our team, and we will be more than happy to help you ensure you are ready to go from 1 July.
The national minimum wage will increase from $21.38 per hour to $23.23 per hour for our lowest-paid employees. The minimum rate for awards will increase by 5.75%.
You must be paying the new rate as of 1 July 2023. Our team is here to help you with any questions or concerns about the new national minimum wage and the award rate increase.
If you are covered by a registered agreement, your pay rate might also increase, as the base pay rate in a registered agreement cannot be less than the base pay rate in the relevant award.
These changes will take effect from your first full pay cycle after 1 July 2023, meaning if your pay period starts on Monday, the changes will take effect on Monday, 3 July 2023.
Also increasing on 1 July is the Superannuation Guarantee rate from 10.5% to 11%. Speak with your accountants to ensure your contributions are following the latest legislation.
As always, our team is here to help you. You can book a call with an expert or call us directly on 1800 868 254. If you need help reviewing your HR Documentation or creating new policies, please reach out to us and we’ll be happy to assist.
You can find out more about paid parental leave entitlements here:
https://www.fairwork.gov.au/newsroom/news/changes-to-the-paid-parental-leave-scheme
https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/changes-if-you-get-family-payments?context=64479
For more information about the National Minimum Wage, visit:
All Superannuation information can be found here or talk to your accountant:
Guides to help you uncover human resource insights, and make the right changes to improve team delight.
May 23, 2023
You will now need to apply for a licence before employing people under 15 as part of the changes to the Victoria Child Employment Act; previously, you had to have a permit for each individual child working. The changes are designed to “strengthen protections for children in the workplace and make it simpler for employers to understand their obligations.”
Licences will be free, and applications can be made from 1 July on the Victorian Government website.
An employer must have a licence before they employ someone under 15. With the new licences coming into effect on 1 July, prior child work permits will continue to be upheld, so you won’t need to apply for a licence for a child you already employ and have a permit for.
Victorian Child Employment Laws:
There are no minimum ages for working in a family business or the entertainment and advertising industry.
For any other work, a child must be at least:
There are restrictions on how many hours a child can work:
There are exemptions, and you can apply for variations if these don’t align with your business.
The major exemption is for family businesses. Parents or guardians don’t need a child employment permit to employ their child in a family business.
They are also exempt from age restrictions, hours of work and rest breaks. However, a parent or guardian must directly supervise their child. If another person is the child’s supervisor, these exemptions do not apply.
The changes to Victoria Child Employment Act are be enforced by The Wage Inspectorate, who will receive increased powers on 1 July. Child safe standards must be complied with to ensure each child’s safety in the day-to-day operations of any organisation, helping to keep children safe from physical, sexual, emotional and psychological abuse and neglect. The Wage Inspectorate can issue compliance notices as a way of achieving compliance with the Act and infringement notices where a breach has been detected. Fines for non-compliance can range from $1000 to $10,000 per incident.
NSW Child Employment laws:
There is no minimum age in NSW, but there are restrictions on the number of hours a child can work on a school day. You have to contact the Fair Work Ombudsman or SafeWork NSW to find your relevant terms and conditions. You should contact NSW Education if you intend to work during school terms. (Source: NSW Industrial Relations)
If you need any HR advice, please call our team on 1800 868 254 or you can email us at info@totalhrm.com.au. Alternatively, book a call with our experts.
Guides to help you uncover human resource insights, and make the right changes to improve team delight.
Amelie is our Marketing Lead and currently studying for a B.A. in Business and Visual Arts. She brings her visual arts skills and eye for colour and detail to our graphics and design for the business.
Amelie uses her skills as a digital native in our Marketing team and works across our social media channels. Amelie provides administrative support and assists the recruitment team in finding great candidates.
Sarah joins the team at Total HRM following her time in a regional real estate company, most recently in HR. She brings a solid understanding of the unique dynamics and challenges within small and medium-sized businesses.
Prior to real estate, Sarah worked in the airline industry, providing her with excellent skills in customer service and how to remain calm in a crisis.
Known for her positive energy, Sarah approaches her role with enthusiasm and a genuine desire to support and uplift those she works with. With her experience in HR and recruitment, Sarah is committed to fostering a culture of inclusivity, professional growth, and employee well-being. Her ability to connect with people and create a positive work atmosphere contributes to the overall success of teams and the business as a whole.
Ashly is one of our most experienced HR Business Partners with over 20 years of experience in manufacturing and hospitality, both local and overseas, ranging from large multinational companies to small family-owned operations. Throughout his career, Ashly regularly led teams with over 30 employees while continually growing the business and aligning business strategies with employee capabilities.
Ashly has qualifications in Applied Management and Human Resources and a strong leadership and people management background. Ashly combines his experience with his qualifications to develop great workplace cultures while delivering practical support.
As our Business Services Manager, David keeps everything that is Total HRM ticking along – from overseeing administration and finance functions, liaising with clients and suppliers, to IT troubleshooting and keeping everyone on track to deliver effective customer service to all our clients.
In a business landscape of ‘information overload’, Kim’s pragmatic approach simplifies the ever-changing HR trends and legislation to obtain meaningful and maximum benefits for her clients.
Kim is well known for her ability to understand the ‘real’ issues within businesses and to provide solutions for sustained business growth.
Kim has over 20 years of experience in human resources and 15 years of business consulting experience, and she holds post-graduate Business and Human Resource qualifications.
She has vast and varied experience in senior consulting roles across varying disciplines and HR management positions within retail, manufacturing and professional service sectors.
Linda is the Managing Director of Total HRM and has worked for over twenty five years in business and consulting, including executive and senior management roles. She has worked here and overseas in numerous industries, including mining, energy and government. Her experience in areas such as production, strategic planning, finance, OHS/WHS, and lecturing in Human Resources Management at La Trobe University provides her with a unique blend of business and HR capability.
Linda has led comprehensive organisational restructures and implemented programs to improve the effectiveness of businesses with clear alignment between individuals’ contributions and organisational outcomes. She works with various local boards and executive teams in the region. She is a Certified Professional Member of the Australian Human Resources Institute.