Avoid HR Disasters: Why Small Businesses Must Say No to Bush HR

Avoid HR Disasters: Why Small Businesses Must Say No to Bush HR | Assurance HR Management

When times are tough financially, it’s natural for businesses to look for ways to cut costs.
However, one of the biggest mistakes small to medium businesses can make is sidelining professional HR advice in favour of “bush HR” – that is, making ad-hoc decisions based on instinct, emotion, or incomplete knowledge of the law.

While this may seem like a quicker or cheaper option at the time, bush HR often leads to disastrous consequences that end up costing businesses far more than they would have spent seeking professional advice from the start.

At Assurance HR Management (AHR), we are ‘The Workplace Problem Solvers’. We are here to help you avoid the serious pitfalls that “going it alone” can cause.

Let’s explore why bush HR is a dangerous gamble — and why working with AHR is an investment in your business’s protection, stability, and future growth.

1. You’re Exposing Your Business to Unfair Dismissal Claims

One of the most immediate dangers of bush HR is the heightened risk of an unfair dismissal claim.
When a worker is dismissed without following a procedurally fair and lawful process, they have the right to lodge a claim with the Fair Work Commission.

Defending such claims is time-consuming, stressful, and expensive. Even if you believe the dismissal was “for cause,” a lack of proper process is enough to lose a case.
Possible outcomes include:

Court-ordered compensation (often several months’ salary),
Reinstatement of the worker into your business,
Public listing of the case on the Fair Work Commission website.

The cost of one claim can easily be tens of thousands of dollars — and that’s before considering reputational damage.

2. You Could Face Significant Financial Penalties

If your business is found to have breached workplace laws — including incorrect award interpretation, failure to provide notice, or mishandling disciplinary action — penalties apply.

As of 2025, Fair Work Ombudsman penalties can reach:

Up to $18,780 per breach for individuals (owners, managers),
Up to $93,900 per breach for companies.

These are not costs many businesses can absorb easily, and facing multiple breaches in a single incident is common.

Choosing Bush HR is gambling with your business’s financial survival.

3. You Risk Irreparable Reputational Damage

Workers today have more platforms than ever to share their experiences publicly.
A single unfair dismissal or poorly handled situation can lead to:

Negative Google reviews,
Social media posts attracting community sympathy and backlash,
News coverage if the story is picked up by local media.

A tarnished reputation can result in loss of customers, partnerships, and future job applicants.

Investing in professional HR support shows workers, clients, and the wider public that your business is ethical, compliant, and fair — protecting your brand and your future.

4. Worker Morale and Trust Will Suffer

Even if a dismissed or aggrieved worker does not lodge a formal complaint, the internal damage to your team can be significant.

Other workers observe how management handles difficult situations.
When they see ad-hoc decisions, inconsistency, or perceived unfairness, it leads to:

Lower morale,
Higher absenteeism,
Increased turnover,
Reduced productivity.

At a time when attracting and retaining good workers is harder than ever, can you afford to damage your internal culture?

Professional HR advice ensures decisions are communicated and actioned clearly, fairly, and legally — reinforcing worker trust and loyalty.

5. You Invite Regulator and Union Scrutiny

When workers feel their only recourse is external, you may soon find yourself facing intervention from:

The Fair Work Ombudsman,
A union representative,
WorkSafe Tasmania (especially if the matter relates to psychological injury).

Once external parties are involved, your ability to manage the issue discreetly and affordably is lost.
External investigations are costly, disruptive, and can result in enforceable undertakings, fines, and public naming.

Bush HR shortcuts often escalate simple problems into complex legal battles.

6. You Lose Control of the Situation

Perhaps the most frustrating part of all — when issues are mishandled, business owners lose control.
Rather than managing an issue internally with the guidance of trusted HR professionals, they are suddenly at the mercy of external lawyers, regulators, and formal court processes.

The timeline, the costs, and even the outcome — all out of your hands.

Prevention is always cheaper, faster, and far less stressful than defence.

7. Legal Costs Will Dwarf the Cost of Proper Advice

At AHR, our services are designed for small to medium businesses — practical, affordable, and scalable to your needs.

One fixed-price engagement with us to properly manage a workplace issue is typically:

Less than a quarter of the cost of defending a single unfair dismissal claim,
Significantly cheaper than paying statutory fines,
Far more manageable than reputational or recruitment repair.

Our job is to help you avoid the iceberg — not just patch the damage after you hit it.

Why Choose Assurance HR Management?

At AHR, we specialise in providing external HR, IR, and WHS support for businesses who don’t have the time, resources, or appetite for costly mistakes.
We deliver: