Doctor Jolly wrote on Aug 9^th, 2012 at 11:34am:


I agree. Business is often lamenting inflexible employee conditions but when asked for flexible employee conditions baulks at it. Jolly is right though that the Australian worker experience is significantly more flexible and pleasant than the american one. And, our economy is thriving while the american one is not. it would appear that maternity leave and flxible employee conditions are not the death of an economy after all.

We need to keep BOTH sides needs in the pricture - employer and employee. If not, we end up with either business failure or worker exploitation. We can avoid both if we try - as we have done in australia.

It's got nothing to do with setting up payroll.

We're in the top 10 biggest companies in the world and have more power than the country of Australia itself.
We probably have more part time employees paid than live in your city.

This is about the role.
Why should we have to find a 2 day per week role for someone because they want to fit in with their lifestyle.

We have a job, we kept it open for you (fine with that) but its not a 2 day per week role.

Take it back or bugger off somewhere else.

That's how it works elsewhere but Aussies being the fking socialists they are seem to think we should be bent over backwards.

You're far too soft.

gold_medal wrote on Aug 9^th, 2012 at 11:41am:



Thats the second time you've agreed with me in the last two days, longy,  and its starting to worry me.

The good ol US of A is no longer the role model the rest of the world wants to follow, and they dont like it.

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Aug 9^th, 2012 at 11:45am:


We look after our people.   I child has a better upbringing if the mother works part time vs full time.  The mother is more productive (per hour) part time than full time. 
A working mother is more productive to the country, even at 2-3 days a week, than a non working mother.

Anyway, the part time is only for a few years until the kid is school age, when most career mothers go back to full time work.

I'm sure being the arsehole you are, you'll find a way to sack her, and put that family into financial stress.

The important thing is not letting Nazi filth rob you with their abuses of the constitution and political power - to understand the true intent of the law is freedom...Social law is a myth - you don't have a legal leg to stand on...live with it...

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Aug 9^th, 2012 at 11:49am:


To be fair though. American companies treat their employees like crap. While I agree that FairWork is a retrograde step, your comments are even worse. Americans do tend to consider the bottom-line the only consideration. And I must repeat that despite these obligations, our economy is world-best while the American economy is well... looming into double-dip recession after only just avoiding depression. It is hardly an endorsement  of your profit-at-all-costs mentality. There is a balance to be sought but Im not sure you have the slightest clue what that is or even means.  Im sure that if you were permitted to halve employye salaries and remove all benefits and perks you would in a hearbeat.

Your arrogant assumption that you have more employees that live in my city pretty much puts paid to your credibility. Employ over 3 million, do you?

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Aug 9^th, 2012 at 12:04pm:


And Im sure you see that as a positive attribute. Which speaks poorly of you personally. Arrogance, combined with ignorance is not a pretty sight. After all Americans ignorance about anything outside their borders is legendary and almost worlds-worst. 25% of your own people cannot find USA on a map. Ask them to find UK or even australia and less than half can do it. You want to rule the world but you can barely find it on a map!!

gold_medal wrote on Aug 9^th, 2012 at 12:21pm:



On the contrary, where I work actively promotes employee engagement.
How do you think we deliver such excellent results in a downturn and remain one of the biggest petroleum companies in the world in all countries?

However it is about 2 things -
Employee engagement
Returning maximum shareholder profit

Both of the two in sync with each other.

Employees can (and do) take maternity leave but then when they come back - it should be either to the same role or not at all (or to another role if it is available).
We cannot though expect companies to change a role to work in with someone just because their circumstances have changed.

It's literally the case of the soldier telling the general what he has decided to do.

The employee works for the employer - not the other way around.

The Fair Work Australia legislation is ridiculous.
Take 12 months off, option to take longer and then come back and employer must offer suitable work conditions to suit the employee's circumstances.

Unbelievable.

And you wonder why you pay more tax than I do and have to pay 40% more than I do for pretty much everything.

Australia, nice beaches, nice bridge - but fking socialist in its outlook and just out of touch.