Portrait photograph of Michael Byrnes
Michael Byrnes
Partner

As Valentine’s Day approach­es, many law firms are ask­ing whether mod­ern work­place dynam­ics require clear­er guide­lines around romance, bound­aries, and con­sent. In this episode of Lawyers Week­ly, experts explore whether firms should intro­duce a ​‘Valentine’s Day clause’ into their sex­u­al harass­ment poli­cies — and how proac­tive, trans­par­ent frame­works can bet­ter pro­tect employ­ees while reduc­ing legal risk

Michael Byrnes appeared on the Lawyers Week­ly Show pod­cast with Jerome Doraisamy to dis­cuss poten­tial work­place law issues relat­ed to Valen­tine’s Day

To lis­ten to the full pod­cast click here

If you would like to repub­lish this arti­cle, it is gen­er­al­ly approved, but pri­or to doing so please con­tact the Mar­ket­ing team at marketing@​swaab.​com.​au. This arti­cle is not legal advice and the views and com­ments are of a gen­er­al nature only. This arti­cle is not to be relied upon in sub­sti­tu­tion for detailed legal advice.

Publications

The Paper­cut Deci­sion and the Cur­rent Posi­tion on WFH

The FWC’s John­son v Paper­Cut Soft­ware deci­sion has renewed debate about the lim­its of work­ing from home rights. While some have…

Valen­tine’s Day in the Work­place (2026 Edition)

Valentine’s Day may appear harm­less, but in work­places it can cre­ate legal and cul­tur­al risks. Even well‑meant roman­tic ges­tures can…

Aus­tralia Day Sub­sti­tu­tion: The Legal Issues (2026 Edition)

As more major employ­ers allow staff to work on Aus­tralia Day and take the pub­lic hol­i­day lat­er, impor­tant legal ques­tions…

In the News

More than harm­less fun: How Valentine’s Day can blur the line between cel­e­bra­tion and harassment

Michael Byrnes is quot­ed in the arti­cle, ​“More than harm­less fun: How Valentine’s Day can blur the line between cel­e­bra­tion…

Michael Byrnes is quot­ed in the arti­cle, ​“The legal impli­ca­tions of the Dig­i­tal Work Sys­tems Bill”, pub­lished in HR Leader

Michael Byrnes is quot­ed in the arti­cle, ​“The legal impli­ca­tions of the Dig­i­tal Work Sys­tems Bill”, pub­lished in HR LeaderTo read…

Hap­py Lunar New Year 2026 – Wel­com­ing the Year of the Fire Horse

The Fire Horse (Bing Wu) is known for its bold ener­gy, charis­ma, speed, and trans­for­ma­tive spir­it, sym­bol­is­ing a peri­od of break­throughs…

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