Schools, Industrial Relations Law and Unions
As a school leader it is essential that you have knowledge of conditions of employment, salary, and the rights and obligations of your staff. Understanding these issues allows you to ensure everyone knows what is expected of them and what can be asked or given. Gain a deeper understanding of industrial relations law relating to performance management as an industrial issue, adverse action, paid and unpaid leave and working with unions. WEB216N12
Description
For Teachers:
Attend and earn 4 CPD points (QLD, WA, SA)
Attending this webinar will contribute 4 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 4 hours of PD (VIC)
Attending this webinar will contribute 4 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 4 CPD units in Substantive Law
This program is applicable to practitioners from all States & Territories
Chair: Marg Blythman, Principal, St Joseph's College, Mildura
9.00am to 10.00am Performance Management as an Industrial Issue
- Understanding performance management holistically
- The role of the union in a performance management setting
- Managing performance practically
- Establishing a high performance culture to prevent industrial action
Presented by Chris Oliver, Director, Director, People + Culture Strategies
10.00am to 11.00am Adverse Action: Lessons for Schools
You’ve terminated a staff member for all the right reasons but they commence proceedings, claim adverse action and you don’t know why. Now what?
- Gain an understanding of what is adverse action
- Lessons learned from the case law that will assist you to implement strategies to prevent employees succeeding in a claim
- The correct way to respond to a claim
Presented by Amber Sharp, Workplace Relations Partner, McCullough Robertson
11.00am to 11.10am Break
11.10am to 12.10pm Current Issues In Relation to Paid and Unpaid Leave
- Entitlements to paid and unpaid leave arising from domestic violence
- What qualifies as domestic violence?
- Privacy issues in relation to taking and disclosure
- Current award and agreement entitlements to COVID-19 leave in respect of lockdown or individual quarantining
Presented by Stephen Hughes, Principal, Franklin Athanasellis
12.10pm to 1.10pm PRACTICAL PANEL DISCUSSION: Working Together with Unions
Panellists:
Carol Matthews, Deputy Secretary, Independent Education Union of Australia
Kristine Cruden, Enterprise Bargaining Team, Public Service Association NSW
Liz Carbone, Legal Services Advocate, Liz Carbone, Advocate, State School Teachers Union of WA
Presenters
Marg Blythman
Marg was appointed Principal at St Joseph’s College in Mildura in January 2016. Her teaching experience is extensive and has included roles as Deputy Principal, Director of Learning, Director of VCE, House Coordinator, Year Level Coordinator, Curriculum Coordinator and Learning Area Leader. Marg is also a current member of the Executive of the Principals Association of Victorian Catholic Secondary Schools (PAVCSS) and the Wellbeing Sub-Committee. Marg has a very strong interest in industrial relations law as it pertains to the school setting.
Chris Oliver
Chris practices exclusively in the area of employment law and industrial relations, Chris is experienced in all areas of workplace related laws providing advice and conducting litigation before the Fair Work Commission and its predecessors, the Industrial Court of New South Wales, and Courts at all levels and relevant Tribunals in NSW and Victoria as well as the Australian Human Rights Commission (and its predecessor), Anti-Discrimination Board of NSW. Chris was a foundation author of the CCH Master Human Resource Manual, authoring several chapters relating to workplace Health and Safety, Workplace Surveillance, Pre-employment vetting and background checks, and whistleblowers.
Amber Sharp
Amber specialises in workplace advisory and litigious matters. She strategically advises clients in the public and private sector in relation to discrimination, bullying claims and termination disputes. She is praised by clients for her down to earth, straight talking and solutions-oriented approach. Amber provides technically accurate legal advice, but at the same time is commercially and industrially pragmatic. Amber is also an accomplished and sought after speaker at industry seminars, and enjoys delivering workplace training.
Stephen Hughes
Stephen Hughes is a workplace relations lawyer with over 20 years' experience acting for a wide variety of organisations in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors across Australia as well as internationally. Providing high level strategic and operational advice to clients, Stephen's practice has a substantial litigation focus advising on industrial relations issues, dispute resolution in the courts and Fair Work Commission, work health and safety legislation, workers' compensation insurance exposures, discrimination and bullying/harassment, Directors and Officers and Employment Practices Liability insurance, post-employment restraints and confidentiality issues. Stephen is regularly invited to speak and chair at numerous specialist conferences on work health and safety, employment law, discrimination, bullying, harassment, social media and employment law. Since 1993, Stephen has been the Honorary Solicitor and an ex officio Board Member for the Australian Society of Rehabilitation Counsellors Inc. Stephen has also been the Honorary Solicitor, Board Member and Ambassador for Volunteering Gold Coast for the last six years, providing strategic advice and assistance on the legal positioning of one of Australia's largest not for profit volunteer organisations.
Carol Matthews
Carol Matthews is the Deputy Secretaryof the Independent Education Union of Australia. The Union is actively involved in many cases each year of performance management, alleged poor performance or threatened or actual termination. A significant number of these are referred by the Union to the Fair Work Commission.
Liz Carbone
Elizabeth Carbone has been employed in the role of Industrial Advocate at the State School Teachers Union of WA since 2004 and has over 20 years' experience in industrial relations. Elizabeth's experience includes several years in private practice for an inner city Perth based legal firm as a legal practitioner during which she worked on behalf of a number of unions and union members in WA in the employment and general litigation areas. She is a legal practitioner who is admitted to practice in WA, as well as a trained mediator and union organiser.