Employment Law Forum: The Crucial Issues in 2021
213Q05: Respond by gaining insights from the President of the Industrial Relations Commission & specialist barristers & solicitors. Explore redundancies, workplace investigations, pay and leave entitlements and how to manage ill and injured employees, and much more. Keep yourself updated on the major workplace developments that you that you need to know right now.
Description
Attend and earn 7 CPD units in Legal Knowledge
This program is applicable to practitioners from all States & Territories
Session 1
Practical Insights on Key Developments in the Workplace
Chair: Vice President O’Connor OAM, Industrial Court of Queensland, Queensland Industrial Relations Commission
9.00am to 9.05am Opening Comments by the Chair
9.05am to 9.50am Redundancies: The Next Wave
- Restructuring: When and why?
- Consultation: What are your obligations?
- Costs, plus special considerations arising from the JobKeeper scheme
- Keeping boundaries clear: Operational change or employee performance?
- Best practice tips
Presented by Danny Clifford, Director, Clifford Gouldson Lawyers
9.50am to 10.35am Workplace Investigations: Current Issues and Challenges
- When are workplace investigations legally necessary?
- What does the law and best practice require for the conduct of an effective workplace investigation?
- How have the pandemic, #metoo and Black Lives Matter impacted workplace investigations, including the matters for investigation and the conduct of investigations?
Presented by Georgina Alexandrou, Special Counsel, Corrs Chambers Westgarth
10.35am to 10.50am Morning Tea
10.50am to 11.35am Models of Employment under Challenge
- The gig economy
- Summary and update of decisions in Australia
- Developments overseas
- Areas of possible legislative change: inquiry into the Victorian On-Demand Workforce
- Casual employment
- What is a casual?: recap and review of the issues and the Court’s approach
- Casual conversion and the FWC’s approach
- Possible legislative change
Presented by Andrew Rich, Principal Lawyer, Slater and Gordon
11.35am to 12.20pm Casualisation: Pay and Leave Entitlements
- How to avoid double counting: an analysis of Rossato v Workpac
- New legislation on casual employment reforms
- Leave accrued entitlements
- Navigating the changes to the award system
Presented by Wendy Fauvel, Executive Counsel, Herbert Smith Freehills
12.20pm to 1.05pm Q and A session
Facilitated by Chair: Vice President O’Connor OAM, Industrial Court of Queensland, Queensland Industrial Relations Commission
1.05pm to 1.15pm Final Q&A and Closing Comments by the Chair
Session 2
Emerging Employment Issues
Chair: Allanah Mills, Lawyer, Holding Redlich
2.00pm to 3.00pm How 2020 has Changed the Employment Law Landscape
Examine the temporary and permanent changes to the Fair Work Act 2009 and awards as a result of the remarkable events of 2020, and consider:
- Issues arising under the revised JobKeeper Scheme
- Pandemic leave and annual leave flexibility
- Long-term changes to working practices and expectations
- Anticipated reforms arising from the IR working groups, including to casual and fixed term employment, award simplification, enterprise agreement making, compliance and enforcement and greenfield agreements
Presented by Mitch Rawlings, Barrister, Griffith Chambers
3.00pm to 4.00pm The Intersection Between Employment Law and Workers Comp in Workplace Psychological Injury Cases
- Identifying relevant employment law principles and workers compensation provisions
- How to correctly manage the Return to Work process
- Handling performance & conduct issues with a worker suffering from psychological injury
- When and how to dismiss an injured worker, lawfully and fairly
- Knowing the legal risks and how to mitigate against them
- Additional challenges that COVID-19 raises at the present time
- Recent cases
Presented by Andrew Cardell-Ree, Partner, Thomson Geer
4.00pm to 4.15pm Afternoon Tea
4.15pm to 5.15pm Does Freedom of Speech Exist in the Workplace?
- Case study: Ridd v James Cook University and the implications for employers and employees
- Employers to remain mindful of their employees’ right to freedom of speech
- Controlling the behaviour of staff outside of working hours
Presented by Giri Sivaraman, Principal Lawyer, Maurice Blackburn Lawyers; Accredited Specialist in Workplace Relations in QLD in Employment and Industrial Law in NSW
Presenters
Danny Clifford
Danny Clifford is a Director of Clifford Gouldson Lawyers - one of Toowoomba's leading business focussed law firms. Clifford Gouldson advise businesses on workplace, litigation, property & commercial, construction, intellectual property and tax, structures and planning. In recent years Danny has worked closely with leading private schools in the Toowoomba region to manage individual staff issues, develop enterprise agreements and ensure risk minimisation strategies are in place to help schools deal with employee issues both at school and involving external use of social media.
Georgina Alexandrou
Georgina is an accomplished legal practitioner with 20 years top-tier domestic and international experience in human resources, workplace relations and discrimination law. Georgina is a senior leader in the Brisbane team of Leading Employment Law Firm, Corrs Chambers Westgarth. Georgina works across a wide range of industries, including education, mining and energy, integrated services, retail, manufacturing, medical and finance. Georgina advises clients on all aspects of the employment relationship, including the interpretation and application of employment contracts, industrial instruments including modern awards and enterprise agreements, workplace policies, and employment legislation. A significant part of Georgina’s practice relates to her expertise in workplace investigations.
Andrew Rich
Andrew Rich decided to enter the legal profession to make a difference . Andrew is proud to draw on 20 years of legal experience to help his clients seek justice. Andrew helps working people across all occupations and industries with issues such as wage recovery, unfair dismissal, defamation, and discrimination, Recently he has represented Paul Skene in landmark litigation against WorkPac ([2016] FCCA 3035 and [2018] FCAFC 131), and is presently representing the CFMMEU in related proceedings in the High Court, in Workpac’s appeal of the Full Court of the Federal Court’s decision in Workpac Ltd v Rossato [2020] FCAFC 84.
Wendy Fauvel
Wendy is one of Herbert Smith Freehills’ national experts in the field of enterprise bargaining and industrial disputes, and has a broad practice in all areas of employment law.
Wendy provides advice on enterprise bargaining strategy, the interpretation of industrial instruments, the drafting and implementation of enterprise agreements, dispute resolution, and responses to industrial action for a number of public and private sector clients.
Wendy is an editor and author of Herbert Smith Freehills’ publication, “Bargaining under the Fair Work Act”. The Guide provides a comprehensive analysis of all significant bargaining and industrial action cases since the introduction of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth).
Mitch Rawlings
At the end of his undergraduate studies, Mitch joined the Royal Australian Navy. After returning from his full-time service, Mitch commenced practicing with the in-house legal team of an ASX listed company, working in employment, WHS and insurance. Since joining the Bar, Mitch has acted for a wide range of clients including banks, insurance companies, property managers, proprietary companies and individuals. His practice centres around general litigation (contractual and equity), employment/industrial law, insurance and administrative law. Mitch has a particular interest in statutory prosecutions, especially Work Health and Safety matters.
Giri Sivaraman
Giri Sivaraman is a Principal at Maurice Blackburn. He is the head of the firm’s Queensland Employment law department based in Brisbane, which is listed by the highly respected Doyle's Guide to the Australian Legal Profession as one of two top tier law firms for employees in Queensland. Giri is recognised as a preeminent lawyer for employees in Queensland by Doyle's Guide and he is a member of the Law Society of Queensland employment law subcommittee. He is also a LSQ accredited specialist in workplace relations and a Law Society of NSW accredited specialist in employment and industrial law.
Vice President Daniel O’Connor
Vice President O’Connor was appointed a Deputy President of the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission in 2012 and Deputy President of the Industrial Court of Queensland in 2013. In December 2018 he was appointed Vice President of the Industrial Court of Queensland. He holds a Bachelor of Educational Studies, Bachelor of Laws and Master of Laws. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Managers and Leaders. The Vice President was called to the Queensland, New South Wales, and Victorian Bars and the High Court of Australia in 1990. Between 1994 and 2012, his Honour was Chief Executive of the Bar Association of Queensland and Secretary of the Australian Bar Association.
Andrew Cardell-Ree
Andrew Cardell-Ree has over 17 years' experience in providing specialist workplace relations, employment and safety advice, representation, and training to leading private and public sector employers. Recognised in Doyle's Guide (2015 & 2016) as a recommended lawyer in the Queensland employment law market, Andrew helps manage all relationships in the workplace and has an extensive client base, including employers in projects and construction, transport, utilities, hospitality, gaming, retail and financial services. Andrew appears regularly before State and Federal Commissions, Tribunals and Courts, across the full spectrum of workplace issues.
Allanah Mills
Allanah is a Lawyer in Holding Redlich’s Dispute Resolution and Litigation group specialising
in employment and industrial relations issues. She was admitted to the Supreme Court of Queensland in February 2019. Allanah advises on the full spectrum of employment law matters including workplace disputes, contract disputes, workers’ compensation claims, employee misconduct, workplace investigations as well as managing discipline and dismissal.
Allanah is experienced in advising a broad range of clients including international entities, unions, large organisations, small businesses, Government and individuals.
Venue
Hilton Brisbane
190 Elizabeth St
Brisbane City
Brisbane 4000
QLD
Australia
Directions
Due to one way road systems, please note that car access is via Elizabeth Street only. Please programme 190 Elizabeth Street if using a car navigational device.
Nearby Public Transport:Train Stations - Central Station
Bus Interchange - George Square Bus Station
Parking
Parking is not included in your registration. There is valet parking available for AU$58.00