What is happening in the world of HR for small businesses?
Highlights from our Gen Z webinar
In our recent webinar, Harnessing Gen Z: Leading the Next Generation at Work, we explored how each generation has been shaped by its time and what this means for today’s leaders. The key message? Gen Z are not lazy or entitled. They are pragmatic, purpose-driven, and looking for clarity, growth, and flexibility.
We dug into the common frustrations leaders raise, from expectations around feedback and progression to balance and resilience, and reframed them through a Gen Z lens. What might feel like impatience or oversensitivity is often grounded in economic reality, structured upbringings, and a strong awareness of mental health.
The big takeaway: Leading Gen Z is not about lowering standards. It is about modernising our leadership toolkit. That means moving from command-and-control to clarity, coaching, and connection.
If you missed it, you can watch the recording (and all of our past webinars) on our YouTube Channel. And for a true Gen Z perspective, do not miss Ella Kerr’s article Insights from a Gen Z HR Professional: It’s Evolution, Not Entitlement where she shares what leadership looks like through her own eyes.
Reminder for Small Business Owners: Two Important Changes Now Apply
If you run a business with less than 15 employees, there are two new workplace laws you now need to follow from 26 August 2025 (we warned you it was coming!).
Right to Disconnect
Your employees now have the legal right to ignore work calls, emails, and messages outside of their normal working hours if responding would be unreasonable. What counts as “reasonable” will depend on things like the urgency of the matter, whether the employee is paid an on-call allowance, or their personal circumstances (for example, family responsibilities).
What you need to do:
- Talk to your managers and supervisors so they understand these new boundaries.
- Review your policies, contracts, and team expectations about after-hours communication.
- Make sure staff know when they are expected to be available, and when they are not.
Casual Conversion
If a casual employee has worked for you for at least 12 months, and has had regular hours that could continue, they now have the right to ask to become permanent (part-time or full-time). As a small business, you do not need to offer this proactively, but you must respond in writing within 21 days of a request. You can only refuse on reasonable business grounds, such as major changes to operations or if the employee’s hours are not actually regular.
What you need to do:
- Keep track of how long your casuals have been with you and whether their hours are regular.
- Have a process in place to review requests and respond in writing within the 21-day timeframe.
- Make sure your managers know the rules and are ready to handle requests properly.
- Make sure you are handing out the new version of the Fair Work Casual Employment Information Statement to all new hires.
These changes are now in effect, so taking a bit of time to update your processes will help you stay compliant and avoid issues down the track. We have already updated our Strawberry Seed resources, and you can reach out if you need any help from our HR advisory team.
HR Tip: Offboarding Employees? Do Not Forget the Password Review
When someone leaves your business, you probably think about collecting their laptop, phone, or keys. But digital access is one of the most common things to overlook, and it can create real risks.
In Australia, 42% of working adults reuse the same password across multiple accounts, and 17% rely on only one or two passwords for everything. If a former employee still has access to your systems, those habits can make it even easier for them to log back in.
Why it matters
Failing to review passwords during offboarding is more than a minor oversight. Past employees with ongoing access can accidentally cause data breaches or, in some cases, deliberately disrupt systems and damage your reputation.
Globally, 83% of ex-employees say they could still access previous employers’ accounts, and more than half admit they have used this access in harmful ways.
What you can do
Including a password review in your offboarding checklist is simple and effective. You can:
- Reset shared or privileged passwords, such as cloud platforms and admin tools, as soon as someone leaves
- Remove all digital access immediately, including emails, drives, and systems
- Keep a record of who has access to what, so nothing is missed
Digital security is easy to forget in the busyness of offboarding, but building this step into your process helps reduce risk and protect your business. If you need help with updating your onboarding processes, Strawberry Seed can help. You can also watch our July webinar, Onboarding Employees: Setting a Foundation for Success for more tips and ideas.
Coming Soon: Mental Health Month at Strawberry Seed
October is Mental Health Month, and we have some exciting things on the way. Keep an eye out for free webinars, new training options, practical articles on supporting mental health in the workplace, and a fresh set of free resources you can use with your team.
This is all about giving small businesses and people leaders more tools to build healthy, supportive workplaces. Watch this space for more details coming soon.
Upcoming Webinars and Training
Geelong Leadership Training Workshop – October 2025
Our last public Leadership Training Workshop for 2025 is in Geelong on the 13th October 2025.
Early bird rate applies, and Geelong has almost already sold out. Discount codes are available for returning package clients. For more information and details on how to book, click here.
Free September Webinar: HR Essentials for Small Business Owners
Running a small business means wearing many hats, but when it comes to HR, getting it wrong can be costly. From legal obligations to people management, there are a few essentials every business owner needs to know.
Join us for this practical one-hour webinar where we’ll cut through the complexity and share the HR must-haves that will help you stay compliant, avoid costly mistakes, and build a positive workplace.
Key Takeaways:
- Understand your obligations under Fair Work and Awards
- Hire and onboard new staff with confidence
- Manage people and performance effectively
- Build culture without overcomplicating things
Can’t make it live? Register anyway, and we’ll send you the recording after the session.
7.30 pm, Wednesday 24th September 2025
Mental Health First Aid Training
Mental Health First Aid training teaches practical first aid skills to help a team member or co-worker experiencing mental health issues. We’ll teach you how to approach someone struggling, ask the right questions and assist them in accessing professional help.
The Mental Health First Aid Refresher Course is a requirement before your original accreditation expires in 3 years. The course updates and builds upon skills learned from the initial 12-hour mental health first aid course that participants undertook. Refresher courses contain new films and additional materials. This course is delivered in a 5-hour online session or a 4-hour face-to-face session.
Our final public programs for 2025 will be held in October and November. The details and dates for the upcoming sessions can be found here. Discount codes are available for HR Package clients.
For more information on private courses, contact mhfa@strawberryseed.com.au.
