LGProcast · Local Government Professionals Inc

LGProcast - Episode 17 – Managing Complex Performance and Mental Health

·11 min·1 clip

How confident are you in your managers when handling mental health and complex performance issues?

This episode focuses on performance management in complex situations, particularly involving mental health and legal obligations. Hosts from the LGProcast, a podcast for Victorian local government decision-makers, are joined by HR expert Linda Davey. Linda Davey brings over 30 years of experience across the Australian Public Service, ACT government, and local government. She discusses the significant recent changes in the industrial relations landscape, emphasizing new positive duties on organizations. These duties mandate early intervention strategies for issues like sexual harassment under respect at work amendment laws. Managing psychosocial risks, which include mental health factors, is a key component of these obligations. Linda warns that failing to manage these risks leads to more case law concerning adverse actions against businesses. She notes a rise in unfair treatment and unfair dismissal cases being brought to the Fair Work Commission, often linked to performance management processes. The episode outlines that employer obligations are expanding while employee claims are simultaneously increasing. Public Sector People, which partners with Victorian councils for recruitment, sponsors the discussion. A critical insight is that early intervention is not just a best practice but a formal legal duty in many cases. The changing legal framework places a proactive burden on managers to identify and address risks like harassment. The connection between performance management procedures and the potential for adverse action claims is presented as a major operational risk. Linda's perspective suggests that traditional performance management approaches may be insufficient under these new laws. The episode frames mental health management as an integral part of managing broader psychosocial risks in the workplace. The financial and reputational stakes for councils are implied to be higher than ever due to this evolving case law. The tone is educational and advisory, aimed at informing managerial practice. The style is a direct, conversational interview focused on practical legal and HR implications. Local government managers and HR professionals in Victoria would find this episode highly relevant for compliance and risk management. Listeners seeking broad leadership philosophy or inspirational stories might find the content overly technical and legally focused.

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