Workplace Law Conference
Explore the most significant issues, reforms and legislative developments in employment law for 2024. Hear from a leading panel of employment law specialists, as they scrutinise proposed future reforms and impacts of recent legislative changes. Get your annual update on general protections cases and a practical guide to general protections proceedings. Plus, gain insights and valuable tips on how best to run a workplace investigation. 243Q29
Description
Attend and earn 7 CPD units in Substantive Law
This program is applicable to practitioners from all States & Territories
Session 1
Workplace Law Developments, Reforms, and General Protections
Chair: Mitchell Devine, Principal, Devine Legal; Recommended Employment Lawyers (Employee & Union Representation), Doyle’s Guide 2023
9.00am to 10.00am Overview of Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes) Bill 2023 (Cth)
Presented by Patrick Lawler, Senior Associate, Ashurst
10.00am to 11.00am Secure Jobs Better Pay Act: In Practice and Recent Cases
Presented by Matthew Cameron, Executive Counsel, Herbert Smith Freehills
11.00am to 11.15am Morning Tea
11.15am to 12.15pm General Protections: Case Update
Discuss the impact of the High Court’s decision in Qantas Airways Limited v Transport Workers Union, among other significant recent cases.
Presented by Edward Shorten, Barrister, Inns of Court; Preeminent Junior Counsel, Employment & WHS Barrister, Doyle’s Guide 2023
12.15pm to 1.15pm A Practical Guide to “General Protections” Proceedings in the Federal Court and Federal Circuit and Family Court
A practical guide on how to commence or defend a general protections proceeding and the main steps along the way, including:
- Discovery
- Affidavits: Practice of ‘Conversation Evidence’: Kanes Hire Pty Ltd v Anderson Aviation Australia Pty Ltd
- The hearing
- Damages
Presented by Mitch Rawlings, Barrister, Holmes Chambers
Session 2
Managing Risks in the Workforce
Chair: Danny Clifford, Director, Clifford Gouldson Lawyers
2.00pm to 3.00pm Restraint of Trade and Confidentiality
- Critical issues in drafting and enforcing of restraint of trade clauses
- Protecting confidential information
- Jurisdictional considerations and strategies
Presented by
3.00pm to 4.00pm Eliminating Psychosocial Hazards and Factors in the Workplace
- Managing the risk of psychosocial hazards at work Code of Practice
- Regulator trends
- Focus points for 2024 and beyond
Presented by Harriet Smith, Senior Associate and Sarah Smith, Senior Associate, MinterEllison
4.00pm to 4.15pm Afternoon Break
4.15pm to 5.15pm How Not to Conduct Workplace Investigations
- You have received a complaint: key principles for choosing between investigation or management action
- An investigation is required: the key to best practice? Follow the Policy and the Principles of Natural Justice
- What does ‘fairness’ look like? You are there to find the truth, not guilt: the importance of exculpatory evidence
- At the end of the investigation: Calming the disrupted workplace: the role of workplace facilitation
Presented by
Presenters
Mitchell Devine
Mitchell Devine is the Principal, Devine Legal and a dual Accredited Specialist in Personal Injury Law and Workplace Relations. He holds a Bachelor of Laws and Masters of Laws and is a member of the Industrial Relations Society of Queensland, Australian Lawyers Alliance and Australian Labour Law Association. Mitchell was previously a member and chair of the Queensland Law Society Workplace Relations Advisory Committee. Mitchell lectures in employment law at the University of the Sunshine Coast and practises exclusively in areas of personal injuries and workplace relations. He is a recommended employment lawyer in the Doyle’s Guide from 2017 to date for both employer and employee representation.
Patrick Lawler
Patrick Lawler is a senior associate in our employment practice Patrick specialises in industrial relations, employment and health and safety law. Patrick has significant experience acting in employment and industrial disputes and litigation, including regularly representing clients in conciliation conferences, mediations and hearings before different tribunals and courts His experience includes acting in civil penalty proceedings, large-scale litigation (particularly in the Federal Court), and advising on a broad range of industrial relations and employment issues including termination of employment issues, industrial action, enterprise bargaining disputes and restructures. Patrick acts for large corporate and government clients across a broad range of industries including building and construction, mining, petroleum and gas, aviation, electricity, health and higher education. Patrick provides concise and practical advice having recently worked in-house at a major airline.
Matthew Cameron
Matthew is an Executive Counsel in our employment, pensions and incentives team, who is based in our Brisbane office.
Mitch Rawlings
Mitch was called to the bar after serving as a legal officer in the Royal Australian Navy. Since then, he has represented employers, government agencies and individuals in employment, discrimination, disciplinary and WHS proceedings. Mitch has developed a practice in WHS defendant proceedings, representing businesses in the meat processing, amusement and construction industries on a regular basis. As well as advocacy in the Federal Courts, Mitch regularly appears the Commonwealth and State employment tribunals, developing an appellate practice in these jurisdictions. He also teaches at the Queensland University of Technology in evidence and administrative law.
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. With his team, Danny helps clients manage the challenges of large workforces, deal with unfair dismissal issues and maintain compliance with the complex Fair Work requirements. Many large employers come to Danny for both advice on strategic direction and day to day workplace challenges. Working from CGLaw offices across Toowoomba, Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, Danny and his team provide solutions across the full spectrum of workplace issues including employee management, discrimination.
Harriet Smith
Harriet Smith is a Senior Associate specialising in work health and safety and employment law. She acts for public, private and not-for-profit clients on a wide range of employment, IR and WHS matters and has a particular interest in assisting clients to develop strong governance systems that support and promote the safety, health and wellbeing of their staff. Harriet regularly advises employers in relation to complex safety compliance issues and end-to-end management of safety incidents. Harriet has also completed additional governance training, which supports her work with Boards and Executives to exercise effective oversight of WHS and employment issues.
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