There’s a big wide world of HR out there – here are some of the most fascinating headlines that caught our eye this past week.

VR training; coming to a workplace near you

Victorian paramedics will now be trained using virtual reality equipment in a progressive initiative by the Victorian Government.

The first of its kind for Australian emergency services, “Occupational violence prevention education program” will be used to train front-line staff and ensure they are better protected from violence when responding to an emergency.

Far from a gimmick, VR is now a genuine option for anyone looking to create workplace training, explains Russell Francis, CEO of Australian e-learning company Velpic, whose company is rolling out similar technology to its clients.

“One of the fundamental benefits of VR is that the immersive experience can simulate hazardous situations without putting anyone in real danger. The immersive simulations can be made to be very real in look and sound and thus give an extremely life-like training simulation that can be repeated over and over again without any danger to the trainee.”

Education is the perfect use case for VR with its safe, effective, immersive experience to train people with highly realistic simulations.

And it’s only the beginning, says Francis.

“Workplace training in hazardous industries is the first wave of VR training making way for mass adoption for VR Training for everything from an introduction to the office before your first day to how to operate the coffee machine”.

(Want to invest in more employee training? Watch our video on how one company built a training program people love).

Mutt-ernity and Paw-ternity leave now on offer at Scottish brewery

Scottish beer company BrewDog announced via a one-minute video that they will give their 1,000 global employees one week’s paid leave if (or when) they bring a new puppy into their lives.

“It’s not easy trying to juggle work and settle a new dog into your life,” says BrewDog’s co-founder, James Watt. “We wanted to take the stress out of the situation and let our teams take the time they need to welcome their new puppy or dog into their family.”

Having a dog lover for a boss has meant that 50 “office dogs” regularly accompany their owners to work at the company’s Aberdeenshire headquarters.

Along with the overwhelmingly positive response on social media, BrewDog said the publicity had also resulted in an uptick in applications from people keen to work at the company.

(Story got you thinking about your own employment branding? Here’s a run-down on how to do it well).

Japanese Government calls Friday drinks

In the hardest working country in the world, it’s proving difficult to get employees to slack off. So much so that the Japanese government is introducing a new initiative to encourage companies to close their doors at 3pm on the last Friday of every month.

The goal of the nationwide marketing campaign, called “Premium Fridays”, is to improve work-life balance for employees, as well as encourage consumer spending. Nearly 4,000 companies have applied to take part – using the campaign logo in some cases to promote their own goods and services, such as travel companies promoting tours that start on Fridays.

“We hope that “Premium Friday” will trigger a shift from the deflationary trend and activate consumption,” says Hiroshige Seko, the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry.

(What are other companies doing to improve work-life balance? Read this story about one company’s new initiative).

Winner of the best bonus, 2017

Loyalty paid off for Indian employee Shyam Kumar.

The 42-year-old low-level employee became a rupee millionaire when the start-up company he had worked at since 2010 was sold last year.

Mumbai-based mobile wallet startup Citrus Pay was sold last year to PayU for $130 million, meaning the stocks he possessed as part of the stock ownership plan he bought when he began his employment were now worth Rs. five million ($75,000).

Kumar, who has lived in a one-room shanty for the last seven years with 10 family members has now purchased health care for his family and plans to purchase a house on the outskirts of the city.

Be part of the AHRI conversation at the 2017 AHRI Convention and Exhibition

So, have you heard registration for the 2017 AHRI Convention is now open?

Australia’s flagship event for HR and people managers, this annual event for HR practitioners, people managers and business leaders showcases the leading business thinkers on the global stage.

The accompanying 100+ stand exhibition will provide delegates with the latest products and services in the HR field for new ideas to take back to the workplace.

Register and find out more here.