The HR Cartel Podcast

In this explosive episode of The HR Cartel Podcast, Tim Dive dives deep into a high-stakes restraint of trade case where an ex-employee tried to take $120M worth of tender intel to a direct competitor, and the courts actually stepped in. 📌 Interim restraint orders were granted—three months after the employee had already jumped ship, proving that restraint clauses can work… when they’re written pr...

Episode 073: The 10 Adjustments Employers Are Making to Survive the Next 12-24 Months In this episode of The HR Cartel Podcast, Tim Dive breaks down the real-world moves smart employers are making right now to tackle rising costs, productivity loss, and compliance risks in an increasingly hostile business environment. With union wish lists becoming law, wage theft risks on the rise, and Fair Work...

“Activism in the Fair Work Commission: A Wake-Up Call for Employers” In this firecracker episode, we take the gloves off and call out an alarming trend: ideological activism embedded in the Fair Work Commission and Fair Work Ombudsman. With a controversial decision just handed down, targeting modern awards through the lens of gender-based undervaluation, we ask the tough questions no one else is w...

In this raw and unfiltered episode, Tim Dive sits down with one of Australia’s most successful entrepreneurs, Phillip Di Bella; founder of Di Bella Coffee and The Coffee Commune, and passionate advocate for small business. Together, they cut through the noise and dive deep into the real state of play for business owners in Australia. From red tape and rising costs, to leadership mindset and why tr...

"The Non-Compete Chaos & What It Really Means for Small Business" In this episode of The HR Cartel Podcast, Tim Dive delivers a raw and unfiltered breakdown of the recent and proposed workplace legislation changes that could drastically shift how small and medium-sized businesses operate in Australia. From the alarming plans to outlaw non-compete clauses to the ever-growing influence of unions...

In this episode of The HR Cartel Podcast, Tim breaks down the real impact of the current Labor government’s workplace law reforms. Small and medium businesses are facing an unprecedented compliance burden, extra admin, higher operational costs, and serious risks for directors and managers. Tim cuts through the noise to show you exactly what’s changed, why it matters, and how it’s affecting busines...

With Tropical Cyclone Alfred looming off the coast, businesses across Queensland and Northern NSW are scrambling to prepare—not just for the storm, but for the workforce challenges that come with it. In this audio-only, remote episode of The HR Cartel Podcast, Tim Dive cuts through the confusion surrounding stand-down provisions, temporary shutdowns, and employer obligations during extreme weather...

In this episode of The HR Cartel, host Tim Dive discusses the evolving workplace compliance landscape in Australia. With the increasing complexities of regulations and the growing administrative burden on small and medium-sized businesses, Tim discusses the critical need for businesses to shift from mere compliance to strategic success. He explores: The Fair Work Commission's shifting dynamics, in...

As we charge into 2025, the challenges for Australian small and medium-sized businesses continue to grow. In this episode of The HR Cartel Podcast, host Tim Dove breaks down the key decisions business owners must make to stay ahead in an increasingly complex and high-risk environment. From the criminalisation of wage theft to skyrocketing labour costs, stricter compliance requirements, and economi...

Is there such a thing as a risk-free termination? Not exactly—but there are smarter, safer ways to approach it. In this episode of The HR Cartel Podcast, Tim Dive breaks down the termination types that carry the least risk for employers, from probation periods and the Small Business Fair Dismissal Code to redundancies and high-income earners. But that’s not all. With small and medium-sized busines...

Welcome back to The HR Cartel Podcast, and welcome to 2025, the most compliance-heavy, regulator-driven era we’ve ever seen for small and medium-sized businesses in Australia. In this episode, we're busting some of the biggest small business myths that are holding owners and leaders back, including some that could cost you big money, land you in legal trouble, or even shut you down. Think small bu...

Welcome to 2025, where wage theft is now a criminal offense! In this episode of the HR Cartel Podcast, Tim dives deep into the newly implemented Wage Theft laws under the Fair Work Act. With potential fines reaching millions and the looming risk of jail time, Tim breaks down the Voluntary Small Business Wage Compliance Code to help employers understand what’s required to stay on the right side of...

In this episode of the HR Cartel Podcast, host Tim Dive takes a reflective look at 2024, a year he describes as "historic" for workplace relations in Australia. Tim dives deep into the seismic shifts driven by union advancements, legislative overhauls, and the unexpected unraveling of the modern union movement. From the challenges small and medium businesses face in navigating complex laws to the...

In this episode of the HR Cartel podcast, Tim dives headfirst into the current state of union activities in Australia and the impact they have on small and medium-sized businesses. From multi-employer bargaining to the Woolworths saga, Tim dissects how unions' actions are driving up costs, complicating regulations, and exposing the true colours of the labour movement. With a passionate and no-hold...

Tim discusses the challenges, and opportunities, small and medium-sized businesses will face in 2025. With a high-regulation, high-cost environment on the horizon, Tim outlines what businesses must prioritize to not only survive but thrive. From the critical importance of compliance in light of new wage theft laws, to strategies for employee retention, engagement, and leveraging technology, this e...

In this episode, we dig into the latest developments in wage theft and compliance for small to medium-sized businesses. With the Fair Work Ombudsman set to enforce new, stricter wage theft laws from January 2025, Tim shares insights on how employers need to prepare, highlighting potential risks and liabilities for business owners, HR teams, and even individual managers. We break down a recent podc...

Tim Dive delves into a new legal case that holds employers liable for employees’ injuries while working from home. He explores how this decision reshapes the risks of flexible and remote work arrangements and warns that vague policies and unchecked “work-from-anywhere” setups will certainly leave businesses vulnerable. Tim shares practical tips for employers to safeguard themselves by creating det...

In this latest podcast episode, Tim Dive breaks down key findings from the Fair Work Ombudsman’s latest reports, highlighting the industries that will face significant scrutiny in 2025. He emphasizes the need for businesses, particularly those in hospitality, aged care, and construction, to focus on wage compliance as wage theft criminalisation laws come into effect. He also touches on average ful...

This episode of The HR Cartel podcast dives into the ongoing saga, death threats, and situation with the CFMEU and its recent controversies, with a particular focus on leadership and behaviour within the union. Tim shares his insights on the union’s aggressive tactics, how it affects the construction industry, and discusses the broader implications of the CFMEU's conduct, including threats against...

In this episode of The HR Cartel Podcast, host Tim Dive draws leadership insights from the Brisbane Broncos' recent leadership decisions. Using the club's journey as a case study, Tim explores the critical decisions that businesses can learn from—emphasising the importance of performance assessment, setting clear standards, removing emotional bias, and executing swift, values-based leadership deci...

EPISODE CORRECTION: Tim misspeaks when stating "82% of Australian CEOs" intend a return to office within 3 years - The KPMG Report refers to 82% of Global CEOs - not Australian CEOs.  In this episode, Tim dives into the heated debate around working from home and why it’s not the workplace revolution many believe it to be. With big companies like Amazon and Tabcorp mandating a return to the office,...

In this episode of the HR Cartel Podcast, Tim Dive goes deep into the urgent issues small and medium-sized employers face as we approach the end of the year. Tim challenges the usual HR advice on employee engagement and shifts the focus to more pressing concerns: wage compliance, payroll audits, and contract reviews. He breaks down why understanding complex award rates, performing regular payroll...

Tim dives into the complexities surrounding Australia's new "right to disconnect" law, which grants employees the right to refuse work-related contact outside of regular hours. Tim highlights the issues regarding the interplay between this law and existing offsetting clauses in employment contracts and explores the broader implications of recent industrial relations changes, the challenges of navi...

In this episode, Tim Dive explores the ongoing challenges faced by Australia's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) amidst rising government intervention and industrial relations complexities. He discusses the critical role of the middle-class business sector in sustaining the economy and the growing pressures threatening its survival. Tim also critiques the current state of HR practices, emp...

What are we hearing? Unions using members' fees to interfere with other union elections, multi-million dollar fake printing invoices paid for fake jobs, union delegates walking onto sites demanding cash from their members, suspected secret recordings on the streets of Brisbane, and the ACCC taking a Tier 1 construction contractor to task over their agreement with the CFMEU to block a sub-contracto...