The HR Cartel Podcast

(080) Common Sense Wins: The Commission Pushes Back on Woke Overreach

This week, Tim dives into a Fair Work Commission decision that, thankfully, was a win for common sense. After a council worker pushed back on being forced to participate in an Acknowledgement of Country at a routine pre-start meeting, Traditional Corporate HR jumped into overdrive with a misconduct process that ended in termination. But the Commission disagreed. This episode unpacks why the decision matters, how it protects employees from ideological overreach, and the growing concern of activist HR professionals turning workplaces into compliance traps. It’s a warning, a reminder, and a turning point. Employers, leaders, and employees: listen close. You’ll want to understand what this case just made crystal clear.
Join the Cartel: https://www.hrcartel.com/join-the-cartel
Get our 2025 Industrial Relations Forecast: https://www.hrcartel.com/2025-industrial-relations-forecast
 

(079) How I Would Re-Design Australia’s IR Framework, if I were PM.

In this episode, Tim Dive lays out his blueprint for an Australian industrial relations overhaul, as if he were Prime Minister. Drawing on recent government overreach (5,000+ new rules in three years) and the Fair Work Commission’s tone-deaf stance toward small employers, Tim proposes splitting the Commission into a Small Business Division (≤50 staff) and a Big Business Division, mandating productivity-impact reviews for every Award change, and restricting Union bargaining to larger firms, while preserving workers’ safety-nets and genuine right to representation. He explains how this model would unleash innovation, simplify compliance, and drive real productivity gains for companies of all sizes.
Download our 2025 Industrial Relations Forecast here: https://www.hrcartel.com/2025-industrial-relations-forecast
Join the Cartel - https://www.hrcartel.com/join-the-cartelwww.hrcartel.com
Contact us: https://www.hrcartel.com/contact 
 

(078) Embrace the Commission’s Challenge: Fix Your Productivity Now

In this episode, we look at a perfect example of employee entitlement, and explore COST - including above-inflation wage rises handed down by the Fair Work Commission. We expose the cost pressures threatening nearly every small and medium business in Australia, and explore the warnings from recent fair work decisions about offshore contracting traps. We also reveal the untapped flexibility hidden in modern awards. You’ll learn how to consult your workforce before reshaping roles, and practical steps like probationary redundancies, and smarter supplier categorisation to gain more bang for every payroll buck. Tune in, arm yourself with clear-cut strategies, and keep your business tight.
 
Haven't joined the Cartel yet? What are you waiting for? 
https://www.hrcartel.com/join-the-cartel 

(077) The Mid-Year HR & Industrial Relations Report & Forecast - Get Prepared

In this mid-year update, Tim dives deep into the shifting sands of Australian industrial relations. With wage rises, gender-based award adjustments, superannuation hikes, and a flood of new IR regulations hitting small and medium-sized employers, it’s never been more critical to know exactly what’s coming and how to prepare. Tim breaks down the Fair Work Commission’s recent wage decision, owns a learning curve on gender-based award increases, and highlights looming threats from wage theft criminalisation and sham contracting to Greens Party policy drives for shorter workweeks and paid leave for casuals. He also exposes a surge in Fair Work case numbers that should set off alarm bells for anyone running a business. This episode doesn’t just diagnose the problems; it arms you with practical steps; audit your payroll now, leverage award flexibilities, and reinforce your documentation so you can navigate the next twelve months without losing sleep or money. If you care about the future of your workplace and want to stay ahead of the curve, tune in for a no-nonsense forecast and survival guide.
 
Go to https://www.hrcartel.com/join-the-cartel - scroll to the Application section to apply to join the Cartel - the most proactive and protective HR/IR support for Small to Medium sized employers. 

(076) Wage Rises, Shutdowns, and Union Power: What Employers Must Know Now

In this raw and unfiltered episode, we take a hard look at the current landscape for Australian employers. From record-high insolvencies in hospitality and construction to the mounting pressures of wage rises and legislation changes, the real cost of doing business in 2025 is becoming clearer, and more dangerous.
We break down alarming statements from Fair Work Commission leadership, unpack the ideology dominating Australia’s IR system, and explain how it impacts your ability to run, grow, or even retain staff in your business. You’ll hear why so many small business owners are worried, and why they’re right to be.
We also share proven retention strategies you can implement right now to secure your workforce through this turbulent period. If you're a business owner, leader, or HR decision-maker, this is an essential listen.
 
Want to become part of the Cartel? 
Go to www.hrcartel.com

(075) Cost & Productivity: Extreme Measures Faced by Thousands of Australian Businesses

In this episode of the HR Cartel, host Tim Dive dives deep into the reality facing Australian business owners post-election. With a government that shows no signs of lifting the cost burden on small and medium-sized employers, Tim breaks down the pressing challenges and what business leaders must now do to survive.
From skyrocketing wage costs and new criminal liabilities under wage theft laws, to the real-world implications of workplace performance management, this episode is a must-listen for every employer, manager, and HR lead trying to navigate the current IR landscape.
If you've found yourself wondering whether performance management systems are worth the investment—or questioning how much further you can cut without collapsing your workforce—this conversation is for you.
📌 Topics include:
Why cost-cutting in business is misunderstood
What “performance management” should actually look like in SMEs
How political ideology is shaping IR outcomes
What you need to do now to avoid non-compliance and survive the next wave of reform
This is one of the most frank conversations we’ve had yet.
 
Visit www.hrcartel.com to join the community, access the compliance portal, and stay protected.

(074) Employer gets a "win" in $120M Non-Compete Case, Labor’s Next IR Move & What Employers Need to Do Now

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 properly.
But just as courts begin backing employers, the current government is moving to wipe out restraint clauses for 90% of Australian workers.
So what now?
Tim unpacks:
The case details and why this win matters for employers
The IR changes coming if Labor retains power
The contract clauses you must update NOW before laws change
How to shield your business before the protections disappear
If you have sales, BD, or leadership staff—and your business relies on client relationships—you need to hear this.
🎧 Listen now. Protect what’s yours.
 
www.hrcartel.com 

(073) 10 Macro, Micro, and Policy Adjustments Employers are Using to Cut Costs and Reduce Risk, Right Now

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 changes biting hard, the next year won’t be easy for small and medium business owners.
So how do you stay afloat—without sacrificing your people or your performance?Tim unpacks the 10 macro, micro, and policy adjustments that employers are using to cut costs, reduce risk, and keep control over their business.
Learn about:
Redesigns, restructures, and when to pull the redundancy lever
Outsourcing HR, finance, and marketing the smart way
The compliance traps of double and triple dipping (and why it could land you in jail)
How AI is replacing roles and improving productivity right now
Why performance management (done properly) is your best weapon
If you’re an employer who’s ready to stop playing defence and start leading smarter—this episode is for you.
 
To apply for membership to the Cartel, go to https://www.hrcartel.com/join-the-cartel scroll down and complete the form. 
 

(072) Activism Has Infected the Fair Work Commission; And You’re Paying for It

“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 willing to:
Is the Commission becoming a political weapon?
Are employers being punished in the name of “equality”?
Who really ends up paying for 30–64% award wage hikes? (Spoiler: it’s you.)
From pharmacy and childcare to aged care and health services, this episode exposes how well-meaning social agendas can destroy small business viability, and why this kind of economic activism is completely misplaced.
🔥 Expect bold takes, raw truth, and the kind of HR commentary that actually defends employers.
If you’re tired of being the one paying the price for other people’s ideologies, this one is for you.
🎧 Listen now. Push back harder. #TheHRCartel
 
www.hrcartel.com 

(071) Australia’s Leading Entrepreneur, Phillip Di Bella, Joins The HR Cartel for a No-BS Chat.

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 trust in government is fading, nothing is off limits.
This is not your average business podcast episode. It’s a straight-talking, truth-telling convo between two people who live and breathe business, and who aren’t afraid to say the quiet parts out loud.
Whether you're in hospitality, construction, retail, or professional services, this one is for you. Expect insights, fire, and practical gold for running a business in a post-pandemic, pre-election world.
 
Key themes:
The daily reality of small business owners in 2025
Phillip’s take on government red tape and leadership failure
Why many business owners feel “on their own” right now
The true cost of over-regulation
How to lead with resilience (and guts)
https://www.coffeecommune.com.au/
https://www.hrcartel.com/