Page 2 Page 3 FOCUS HR | IR July Update 2026 FOCUS HR | IR July Update 2026 FORWARD If there’s one word that captures the current workplace relations landscape, it might be relentless. While legislation changes may have slowed down, the Fair Work Commission (FWC) are signalling a worrying intent to expand its reach beyond their traditional scope of employment relationships and into the realm of corporate governance. The “claims-culture” that we’ve observed over recent years isn’t just growing … it’s accelerating. General Protections applications jumped 75% in a single month, and AI is pouring fuel on the fire. We’re now seeing employees feed a prompt as simple as “it’s not fair - my employer said no to a pay rise” into a chatbot and receive a 30-page grievance complete with legislation references, emotive language, and case law citations, much of it wrong, but all of it convincing enough to escalate what might otherwise have been a straightforward conversation into something far more complex and costly. At the same time, the national minimum and award wages will rise again from 1 July, and the tension they create cuts both ways. Employees will rightly point out that years of below-CPI-level increases have not fully restored the purchasing power lost during the post-pandemic inflation spike. But the other side of that equation is that wage growth is now outpacing productivity. For businesses, that means the cost of labour keeps climbing while output remains largely unchanged. Neither of those mathematical equations work. And then there’s AI itself. It’s not just employees wondering whether their roles will still exist in three years. Entire businesses are facing genuinely existential questions about whether the services they provide today will still be needed tomorrow, or whether AI will simply do it faster, cheaper, and … let’s be honest, sometimes better. Some are wondering whether the expertise Disclaimer: Being general information pertaining to the field of human resource management, the information in this presentation should never override any legal or specific advice provided to you by state or federal governments or professional or legal advice given specific to your situation. Naomi Wilson Founding Director, People & Leadership Alistair Green Director, Business Strategy they have spent decades building could eventually be replicated, or even replaced, by technology. But throughout this there is optimism. The businesses we see forging ahead right now, the ones navigating this uncertainty with real confidence, aren’t doing it because they’ve found a magic compliance formula or a clever legal workaround. They’re doing it because they’ve invested in their people. They’ve built trust. They’ve focused on culture, connection and engagement, not as soft concepts, but as genuine strategic advantages. Technology will continue to evolve. Regulation will continue to expand. Economic pressures will continue to challenge employers. But the importance of strong workplace relationships remains remarkably constant. The future will undoubtedly require businesses to embrace new tools, new ways of working and new approaches to productivity. Yet the organisations most likely to succeed will be those that remember a simple truth: while technology may change how work is performed, people remain at the centre of every successful business. In an environment this complex, the businesses that will thrive are the ones that choose connection over compliance and relationships over reaction. We hope this edition of IR Unpacked helps you do exactly that. ✓ HR & IR SUPPORT STRONG BUSINESSES START WITH STRONG PEOPLE PRACTICES The team at Focus HR helps organisations build capable leaders, compliant workplaces and high-performing teams. We provide practical HR & IR solutions that help businesses reduce risk, strengthen culture and align their people strategy with business goals. From workplace compliance and leadership development to strategic planning and culture transformation, our team works alongside business leaders to create workplaces that work. General Queries Contracts & Policies Wage Compliance Award Interpretation Employee Relations Workplace Investigations Perfective Management Sexual Harassment Prevention Plans LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Lead with Focus Program DISC Profiling Blanchard Programs Coaching & Mentoring Leading Teams Workshops BUSINESS STRATEGY Bespoke Strategy Programs Accountability Sessions Quarterly Reviews & Resets WORKPLACE CULTURE Culture Journey Programs Employee Engagement Surveys Induction & Onboarding Systems Employee Handbooks Coaching Conversations 07 4765 3456 info@focushr.com.au PRACTICAL COMPLIANT PEOPLE-FOCUSED www.focushr.com.au
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