I have particular expertise in advising employers about how to effectively manage employees who may be experiencing mental health difficulties. I am known for my ability to think laterally and strategically about human behaviour within organisations, and always work with my clients until their issues are fully resolved.

This allows me to focus on achieving their commercial, operational, and workplace cultural objectives in a legally sustainable way.

Career highlights

• Helped several national employers in the resources sector secure favourable enterprise agreements despite considerable industrial opposition, developing tailored industrial strategies, dealing with employees’ representatives, and avoiding industrial action and litigation
• Advised an EPCM contractor on managing its industrial risks with respect to a $1.6 billion mine expansion project
• Advised an engineering company on all aspects of fulfilling its WHS duties regarding its construction of a lithium hydroxide processing plant and mine expansion
• Acted for a grain handling cooperative regarding a high profile dispute with former senior executives about breaches of post-employment restraints
• Represented a dredging company in a long-standing dispute regarding the interpretation of an enterprise agreement applying to the construction of an oil and gas facility, which was resolved favourably for the company without any time lost to industrial action
• Successfully represented a gold mining company as counsel in an unfair dismissal trial brought by a trade union on behalf of my the company's former employee
• Rated as a leading employment lawyer in Doyles Guide

• Guidance material on workplace psychological health & safety released
  

  Safe Work Australia recently released its latest national guidance material: ‘Work-related psychological health and safety – a systematic approach to managing your duties’.

  The material provides employers and other persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) with a comprehensive guide to assist them in ensuring they are doing all that is reasonably practicable to identify and manage psychological health and safety risks in the workplace.

• Western Australia COVID-19 - travel restrictions impacts on employers
  

  At midnight on 5 April 2020, the Government of Western Australia implemented a 'hard' closure of its state border. The closure prevents any person from entering WA unless they fall under the definition of an 'exempt traveller'.

• WA Parliament introduces its harmonised Work Health & Safety Bill
  

  Almost 12 years after agreeing to introduce harmonised work health and safety legislation, the WA Parliament has finally done so. This article considers the key changes proposed under the WHS Bill.

   

• Ongoing consultation on new Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) legislation
  

  Ministerial Advisory Panel on Work Health and Safety Reform identify concerns for employers and industry groups.

• Putting the 'fair' back into the Fair Work Act: the High Court rules on paid personal leave
  

  The majority of the High Court of Australia has upheld the employer's appeal of the Federal Court's decision regarding the calculation of paid personal/carer's leave entitlements under section 96(1) of the Fair Work Act 2009.

• Greater flexibility to manage local government workforces through COVID-19
  

  To help local governments to adapt their workplaces during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Fair Work Commission and the WA Government have made some changes to the taking of leave. We summarise these workplace law updates.

• COVID-19 and managing the safe return to workplaces
  

  Prime Minister Scott Morrison has recently announced 10 National COVID-19 Safe Workplace Principles to underpin Safe Work Australia's workplace health and safety guidance. In this article, we discuss the 10 principles and provide practical steps to assist employers in implementing these principles. 

• Mining sector facing impacts of rising costs and macro pressures – MinterEllison report
  

  Mining executives discussed their concerns about rising costs, labour shortages, inflationary pressure, supply chain and global macroeconomic issues.

• Leadership, culture and consultation – managing workplace mental health
  We look at the increasing focus of the law (and regulators) on the role of ership, workplace culture and consultation in managing psychosocial hazards in the workplace.
• Safe Work Australia seeks input on model WHS incident notification changes
  

  Safe Work Australia's consultation follows its 2021-22 review findings which identified gaps in, and scope to expand, the WHS model framework.

• 2020 Year in Review Work Health and Safety Developments in Western Australia
  

  Last year saw many changes to the work health and safety landscape in Western Australia, signalling a shift to what we expect will be an increased enforcement focus from the State safety regulator.

• Show me your permit - Federal Court clarifies right of entry requirements for safety matters
  The Federal Court has confirmed that union officials must provide a valid entry permit when weekend to enter sites under State safety legislation. 
• ATO releases Decision Impact Statement for Australian Building Systems (in liq) case
  

  In late 2015, the High Court handed down its decision in Commissioner of Taxation v Australian Building Systems Pty Ltd (in liq) [2015] HCA 48. The High Court held (by a majority of 3:2) that, in the absence of an assessment, a liquidator is not required to retain funds from asset sale proceeds in order to meet a tax liability which could become payable as a result of a capital gain made on the sale.

   

• WA Government outlines safety reforms
  The WA government recently announced its workplace safety package, due to be introduced into parliament before the end of 2019.
• Changes announced for WHS legislation in WA
  

  On 12 July 2017, the McGowan Government announced it would develop a single, modernised workplace health and safety Bill for Western Australia.

• Facebook and employee privacy
  

  Last week, in Jurecek v Director, Transport Safety Victoria [2016] VSC 285, the Victorian Supreme Court considered difficult issues when dealing with claims by a public sector employee that her employer had breached the Information Privacy Principles (IPPs) contained in the (then current) Victorian Information Privacy Act 2000, when it accessed her Facebook posts without her knowledge as part of a disciplinary investigation.

• WA Parliament passes Work Health and Safety Act 2020 – What does this mean for your business?
  

  The WA Parliament has now passed the Work Health and Safety Act 2020 (WHS Act), 12 years after the WA Government agreed to introduce harmonised work health and safety (WHS) laws. The Work Health and Safety Bill 2019 (WHS Bill) received Royal Assent given 10 Nov 2020.

• WA Parliament's sexual harassment report calls for significant cultural shift in the mining industry
  

  The WA Parliament's Community Development and Justice Standing Committee has identified a systemic failure by mining employers to recognise the sexual harassment happening at mine sites.

   

• Safety Regulation: Imprisonment, Fines and Individuals
  

  This article examines the increasingly stringent approach regulators and courts are taking to the enforcement of safety law nationally, and the factors that have contributed to this change.