If you use AI to help prepare applications, submissions, witness statements or other case documents, you’ll need to disclose that use, explain how it was used, and personally verify the accuracy and reliability of the material.

For HR and ER teams, there’s a broader point here too.

AI can help prepare, structure and draft but it shouldn’t replace judgement.

And it definitely doesn’t remove accountability.

So I’ve pulled together a short fact sheet covering:

It’s designed to be practical, not legalese. AI can assist. Humans still need to verify, decide and remain accountable.

If you work in HR, ER or workplace law and your team is already using MAK, ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot or internal AI tools, this is worth circulating before 20 October.

EVENT SPOTLIGHT

What does it take to build a career in HR when the work keeps changing around us?

In this episode of Work in Progress, Andrea chats with Nicola Veal, HR consultant, Humaneer ambassador and lifelong learner, about the experiences, mistakes and lessons that have shaped her career.

Nicola shares how she moved from marketing and recruitment into HR. She talks about learning to understand the business by sitting in operational meetings, building trust with leaders and finding ways to balance business needs with genuine care for people.

The conversation explores:

Nicola also shares some career lessons (including a very relatable HR email mistake), her thoughts on The Human Edge by Bethan Winn, and why community matters as HR navigates uncertainty.

A thoughtful conversation about building capability, staying curious and keeping people at the centre of the future of work.

Watch episode here

What an EPIC Conversation…. If you missed Ruth and Mike in this Think tank you can check it out (alongside others) in our on demand library here

Managers are asking AI. Are they building capability?

New Australian research found 53% of AI-using managers surveyed had used it for sensitive management tasks, including performance reviews (22%), complaints (19%) and difficult conversations (19%). Meanwhile, 75% of the broader sample reported no formal workplace AI training, and 84% preferred a human manager. Read the findings.

The DLPA-commissioned survey doesn’t establish that managers are handing decisions to AI (no surprises there) but it raises a practical question for us: is the guidance they’re getting consistent, relevant and helping them learn?

Grounded in your policies and current legislation, Mak gives managers a consistent foundation for guidance and explains the reasoning and risk, building their capability as they work through real people issues.

It can coach managers, help them prepare for difficult conversations and create draft file notes from information they provide for review (Hello, documentation done). It also helps them recognise when to involve us and escalate through the platform (Hello ticketed help).

And Mak now shows us people risk themes as they emerge, giving us earlier visibility of where support may be needed - no more reporting “we have a culture problem” to the board (Hello real time data). The actual conversations with Mak stay private. Humans retain responsibility for decisions. We get better prepared managers, better documentation and insight to act earlier.

If you want to see what Mak can do, how its saved HR teams over 5 years in time, how its supporting Managers and moving teams away from reactive work to proactive strategic work, grab a time in my diary - I’d love to show you.

The Fair Work Ombudsman has released new guidance on end-of-year shutdowns, public holidays, annual leave and overtime.

One important reminder is that employers cannot automatically direct award-covered employees to take annual leave during a shutdown.

The applicable award or enterprise agreement must permit the direction, and relevant notice requirements must be followed.

Some awards require at least 28 days' written notice.

The guidance also reminds employers that public holidays falling during paid annual leave should not be deducted from employees' annual leave balances.

October is when many employers start confirming Christmas closure dates.

Incorrect shutdown notices, leave deductions and public-holiday payments can generate avoidable disputes and payroll errors.

Practical action: Review applicable award provisions before issuing shutdown notices. Check leave balances, payroll configuration and arrangements for employees required to remain contactable during closures.

Thanks so much for reading this edition, and well done for making it to the end of the week!

If you have any feedback ideas or fancy a chat, feel free to reply to this email. We get back to everyone who emails us.

Have an AWESOME weekend when it arrives for you!

Careen 🚀

Co-Founder & CEO

Team humaneer

PS - I read THE BEST book over my break… super recommend it as I took so much good stuff away from reading it :-) You can find it here if your interested in having a read.