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HR: Australia vs UK

Alice

| 0 Posts

17 Apr, 2024 08:07

Hi everyone! I am moving from Australia to the UK in June and wondered if anyone has any courses or resources they would recommend in identifying main differences in HR Legislation etc? 

I have a Bachelor of Commerce Degree and Graduate Diploma in HR as well as 3 years experience as a People and Culture Advisor but can’t seem to find much information around differences between HR in the UK and Australia so feeling underprepared for job interviews etc.

Let me know if this should be directed at a different Group/Forum. 

Any assistance is appreciated. 

Thank you!

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  • Graham

    | 0 Posts

    19 Apr, 2024 07:04

    Hi Alice,

    Welcome to the community (and very shortly, to the UK).

    I am hoping one of my peers will have some relevant information on the differences.
    What I would say though is that you clearly have experience of HR to fall back in in an interview scenario which is great, you may, however, want to look at getting yourself a CIPD qualification as that is what nearly all employers are looking for over here.

    That's not to say that your degree/diploma are irrelevant but it is a very competitive job market here for HR roles.

    I hope you get some more relevant answers and good luck with your move.
  • Alice

    | 0 Posts

    19 Apr, 2024 08:33

    In reply to Graham:

    Hi Alice

    I agree with Graham.

    I've previously supported teams in Aus and from memory the law was very similar to UK, processes etc were all much of a likeness so from this angle I wouldn't worry to much. A CIPD qualification like Graham has mentioned would be a good way to ensure you fully understand the UK law and I would think getting another Admin/Advisor level job wouldn't be too difficult if you can demonstrate that you are doing this too.

    Best of luck :)
  • Joe

    | 0 Posts

    19 Apr, 2024 09:49

    Hi Alice

    In addition to the good advice you've already received, I think the ACAS website is a useful place to start giving you a feel for some of the differences in working/legal practice in the UK

    https://www.acas.org.uk/

    Whilst I personally don't find it to be at the same level/standard as the Fair Work Ombudsman site (which I've found very useful when I've had ER issues to manage in Australia), ACAS is still a very useful starting point.

    As Alice has said, many of the processes are quite similar, there are subtle differences, but you should have no problems picking this up. Based on personal experienced I would say employment law is a bit more complex in the UK compared to Australia, but there's lots of good resources on the CIPD site to get you up to speed.

    Good luck with your search

    Joe
  • Peter Stanway

    | 0 Posts

    19 Apr, 2024 10:43

    In reply to Joe :

    I would start with finding out what your qualifications give you in terms of exemption from CIPD exams.
    Depending on your interests I would go for a LLM/Masters in Employment law. The CIPD no longer take employment law very seriously, as it is not seen as strategic enough!!
  • Alice

    | 0 Posts

    24 Apr, 2024 02:28

    In reply to Joe :

    Thanks very much Joe! This may be a stupid question, but is that website the equivalent of Fair Work in Australia (https://www.fairwork.gov.au) with National Employment Standards etc?
  • Alice

    | 0 Posts

    24 Apr, 2024 02:31

    In reply to Graham:

    Thanks very much Graham. Ideally not wanting to complete formal studies but upskill with any free courses/resources. My Graduate Diploma is accredited by the Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI) who have a reciprocity agreement with the CIPD.
  • Alice

    | 0 Posts

    24 Apr, 2024 02:32

    In reply to Alice:

    Thanks Alice! What would you say are your most used resources when you are working (like the NES in Australia) as an HR Professional?
  • Alice

    | 0 Posts

    24 Apr, 2024 02:33

    In reply to Peter Stanway:

    Thanks Peter! That is good to know. I'm hoping not to have to complete additional studies like a Masters etc as my Graduate Diploma is accredited by the Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI) who have a reciprocity agreement with the CIPD.
  • Sophie

    | 0 Posts

    24 Apr, 2024 08:06

    In reply to Alice:

    The ACAS website is definitely mine!
    You can also sign up to the People Management newsletter which will give you an idea of hot topics and recent tribunals: www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/newsletter-signup
    I would also recommend Daniel Barnett's newsletter and podcast. www.danielbarnett.co.uk/ His products are pretty pricey, but worth it if you can invest, but if not then the free content is very useful.
  • Joe

    | 0 Posts

    24 Apr, 2024 09:38

    In reply to Alice:

    Hi Alice

    It is the closest to it - ACAS is a non-departmental body of the UK Government, however in my personal opinion the ACAS website is not quite as good as the Fair Work site which I've found more prescriptive. There are some free services that ACAS provide which are useful when you need to use them in real time (mediation, conciliation, advice)

    Joe
  • Alice

    | 0 Posts

    25 Apr, 2024 06:08

    In reply to Sophie:

    Thank you so much Sophie!
    If you think of any other resources you use in regards to:
    - Technical HR knowledge on Legislation and Modern Awards (Classifying Employees, Workplace obligations/rights, Pay/minimum entitlements)
    - Statutory Compliance with State and National Industrial Relations
    Please let me know.
  • Alice

    | 0 Posts

    25 Apr, 2024 06:10

    In reply to Joe :

    Thanks very much Joe.
    As I replied to Sophie above, main areas i'm looking to develop in are:
    - Technical HR knowledge on Legislation and Modern Awards (Classifying Employees, Workplace obligations/rights, Pay/minimum entitlements)
    - Statutory Compliance with State and National Industrial Relations

    In Australia all of the above is found on the Fair Work website but just not sure in the UK.
    If you think of anything that can assist in these areas, please let me know.

  • Alice

    | 0 Posts

    25 Apr, 2024 07:19

    In reply to Alice:

    As Sophie and Joe have said, ACAS is your best shot here. We don't have awards in the same way Australia does. Every employee has the same minimum rights in the UK in general - this is one of the big differences, I struggled to get my head around modern awards when I worked with Aus employees as it's so different! You might be best to get your hands on an employee handbook from a UK company as this will help get an understanding of employee rights/employer responsibilities. Happy to connect offline and chat through if you'd like any support.
  • Gemma

    | 0 Posts

    25 Apr, 2024 09:15

    Best of luck with your move. In terms of resources, other than the ACAS and CIPD websites, the gov.uk www.gov.uk/.../employing-people is useful for all the statutory info you are seeking (if not the most nicely formatted!)
  • Robey

    | 0 Posts

    25 Apr, 2024 09:33

    In reply to Peter Stanway:

    The CIPD no longer take employment law very seriously, as it is not seen as strategic enough!!

    Really? What makes you think that, Peter?