School Law: Spotlight on Workplace Law
Examine the many legal risks, rights and obligations related to mental health in the workplace at your school, including what you must do to remain legally compliant while supporting your staff. Identify and consider how to navigate new legal risks related to casual employees in schools. Work through the key steps you need to follow in any situation involving a workplace investigation at your school.
Description
This program is applicable to practitioners from all States & Territories
Chair: Dr Steven Middleton, Head of St Margaret’s and Berwick Grammar School
9.00am to 9.45am: New Legal Risks in Schools Covering Casual Employees: Unpacking Workpac
- What does the WorkPac v Rossato decision mean for casual employees in schools?
- What sorts of claims are being brought against schools by plaintiff law firms?
- How to assess which staff members you believed were casual are now considered permanent
- What to do with current casual employment contracts
- Reconsidering your current policy regarding the engagement and rostering of casuals to comply with the new definition
- Future legislative or High Court change
Presented by Paul O’Halloran, Partner, Colin Biggers & Paisley, Accredited Specialist in Workplace Relations
9.45am to 10.30am: Navigating Workplace Mental Health in Schools: It’s OK not to be OK
- Legal and HR issues to be aware of when a staff member is confronting a mental health issue
- The impact on staff member’s mental health arising from the sudden change from face to face to remote learning and identifying the school’s obligations to provide support
- Examining where the boundaries are
- Practical insights on the different ways to deal with mental health issues at work
- Knowing what your legal obligations are when a staff members mental health impacts other staff members and students
Presented by Tony Houey, Lawyer (in another life), Deputy Principal (retired) and Legal Studies teacher (unretired), Pembroke School
10.30am to 10.45am: Break
10.45am to 11.30am: Wage Theft for Schools
- Federal underpayment laws
- Common underpayment issues for schools
- Record keeping requirements
- Non-compliance and penalties
- Potential criminal consequences including a discussion of Victoria’s Wage Theft Act 2020
Presented by Abbey Burns, Senior Associate, Russell Kennedy Lawyers
11.30am to 12.15pm: Managing Workplace Investigations in Schools: New Trends & Developments
- How COVID-19 has impacted workplace complaints and incidents that require investigation, including psychosocial issues
- Practical and legal issues impacting workplace investigations right now in the ‘new normal’
- The long-term ramifications for schools and how to successfully conduct a workplace investigation in the current environment and going forward
Presented by Georgina Alexandrou, Special Counsel, Corrs Chambers Westgarth
For Teachers:
Attend and earn 3 Professional Development Hours (NSW)
Completing this conference will contribute 3 hours of NSW Education Standards Authority PD addressing 6.2.2 from the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers towards maintaining Proficient Teacher Accreditation in NSW
Attend and earn 3 CPD points (QLD, WA, SA)
Attending this conference will contribute 3 hours of CPD addressing the standards as listed from the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers towards maintaining teacher registration
7.2 Comply with legislative, administrative and organisational requirements: understand the implications of, and comply with, relevant legislative, administrative, organisational and professional requirements, policies and processes.
Attend and earn 3 hours of PD (VIC)
Attending this conference will contribute 3 hours of PD addressing the standards as listed from the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers towards maintaining
Proficient Teacher registration in Victoria.
7.2 Comply with legislative, administrative and organisational requirements: understand the implications of, and comply with, relevant legislative, administrative, organisational and professional requirements, policies and processes.
For Lawyers:
Attend and earn 3 CPD units in Substantive Law