Employment and Workplace Relations

Enterprise agreements

  • Drafted and had approved multiple enterprise agreements for employers in the mining, construction and health industries
  • Assisted a number of employers from various industries in connection with both individual workplace agreements (eg IFAs)

Workers compensation premium reductions

  • Acted for a hotel company facing dramatic increases in workers compensation premiums following a workplace injury, ultimately succeeding in securing the return of a (long-time absent) employee to work and negotiating a reduction of over $200,000 in premiums for the employer
  • Acted for a not-for-profit aged care facility in negotiating a significant reduction in workers compensation premiums
  • Achieved a considerable reduction in workers compensation premiums of over $50,000 for an agricultural business with 30 employees, by developing a plan one month before the policy renewal date for the return to work of an employee who had been absent from work for 18 months

Advice to employers

  • Advised numerous employers on the interpretation of employment agreements, awards, industrial agreements and legislation affecting terms and conditions of employment
  • Provided a broad range of advice to employers in many industries at extremely short notice on a daily basis
  • Advised a number of health organisations including AMA (NSW) on numerous employment matters

Termination of employment

  • Represented dozens of employers in connection with various types of claims arising from termination of employment, including claims for unfair dismissal, unlawful termination, adverse action and breach of contract
  • Successfully acted on behalf of a senior manager who had been terminated, securing an additional four months' notice for the client
  • Acted for a senior employee of an area health service in relation to quasi-disciplinary proceedings and also in relation to FOI proceedings which were associated with the disciplinary proceedings
  • Acted for a senior public service employee in connection with proceedings under the Government and Related Employees Appeal Tribunal Act

Industrial relations

  • Successfully acted for a large publishing company in defeating a union's application for right of entry
  • Represented a group of radiologists with respect to the introduction into NSW of a federal award covering the private radiology industry
  • Acted for AMA (NSW) in connection with a major industrial arbitration under the then Public Hospitals Act involving some 2,500 visiting medical officers in the public hospital system in NSW, in a matter involving an industrial arbitration and appeal to the full bench
  • Represented an employer in the textile industry in connection with proceedings brought under the Freedom of Association Provisions of the Workplace Relations Act

Policies

  • Prepared employment handbooks and policies (anti-discrimination, email and internet and privacy) for various employers in a number of industries