This week Stuart McCullough invites Tim Nagle back to discuss the disciplinary procedures contained in the agreements, and the role of investigations. They start by discussing where those disciplinary procedures have come from and where they are now in terms of the new enterprise agreements.

VHIA debuts its first Member's Spotlight podcast on the issue of Safe Injecting Rooms with member Demos Krouskos, CEO of North Richmond Community Health Ltd. Stuart McCullough invites Demos to share his experience on the effects of drug use and overdoses on the local community, and the human cost of no intervention.

With recent round of agreements having new redundancy provisions, Stuart and Tim tackle the topic of Redundancy. Previous agreements didn’t have redundancy provisions within them, which meant that a lot of key things were left open to debate. They discuss the importance of having clear processes and clear entitlements, and some of the confusion that surfaces when important distinctions are not made.

In Episode 13, Stuart McCullough invites Daniel Pullin back to discuss the Doctors' Log of Claims. VHIA has received a log of claims which outlines what is sought by the AMA during the bargaining process. In relation to Doctors in Training and Specialists, Stuart and Daniel discuss: the curtailment of entitlements; aligning the EBA with improvements in technology; subsequent changes to clinical decision making; and improvements of safe hours of work clause.

In Episode 12, Stuart McCullough invites Principal Workplace Relations Advisor, Tim Nagle, to discuss Nurses Implementation Issues for the Nurses & Midwives Enterprise Agreement. Issues have been identified as being in two distinct categories – How the clause operates (including what the entitlements are), and How to administrate it. To get a proper understanding of these clauses and to gain access to the material that supports the consistent application of the entitlements, watch this episode.

In Episode 11, Stuart McCullough invites Daniel Pullin back to discuss the Health & Allied, Managers & Administrative Workers Agreement, which came into effect on 15 December 2016. It is an agreement divided into two distinct parts, and implements immediate changes related to wage increases for pay periods on or after the 1 October 2016. Some members have expressed challenges implementing key  changes relating to the eligibility of entitlements based on the assessment of part-time review of hours. This episode helps to clarify how to apply those entitlements as well as going in depth on other areas with key differences.

In Episode 10, Stuart McCullough invites VHIA Industrial Relations Consultant, Emma Scott to discuss the Health Professionals Source Document. In reference to the new Allied Health Professionals agreement which is presently lodged with The Commission, they talk about the key changes in the new agreement, and the process of approval and ballot.

In Episode 9, Stuart McCullough and Tim Nagle discuss the Mental Health Agreement which has been put to a ballot to employees and been approved. There was a 1/3 participation rate in voting and a valid majority of 99.2% have approved the agreement. Within 14days the application will be submitted to the Fair Work Commission. The new Mental Health Agreement will last 4 years and expire on the 30 June 2020.

In Episode 8, Stuart McCullough and Tim Nagle discuss the Consultation Clause in agreements. Consultation is an important or useful part of an employer’s process to introduce some kind of change. They discuss in more detail what the consultation obligations are when there is major change that should have a significant effect on employees. Find out the distinction between when you must consult, and when you SHOULD consult by watching Episode 8 on Consultation.

In Episode 7, Stuart & Tim discuss the Dispute Settlement clause in Enterprise Agreements. They go into detail about the purpose of such a clause in ensuring fairness for the processes involved in resolving conflicts in the workplace.