Practice Expertise
- Employment
- Education
Areas of Practice
- Education
- Employment
Profile
My focus is on supporting and delivering for clients – whether it is in a crisis, in helping develop and implement strategy, in supporting on operational issues or in cleaning up a mess – by giving practical, down to earth and solutions focussed advice.
As well as my general workplace relations and safety practice, I have a specialist practice in discrimination law (including in employment, education, services and access to premises). I also provide specialist education advice – across all aspects of the education sector including governance, regulatory and compliance, enrolment matters, parent issues and child protection.
Career highlights
- Providing a holistic approach to each client's employment related needs by working with them to achieve integrated and consistent contracts of employment, policies, industrial instruments and training and providing strategic advice as well as a sounding board, safety net and extra pair of hands as they manage their strategic and day to day challenges.
- Acting for the Association of Independent Schools in NSW for more than 20 years. I sit on their Employee Relations Committee, was the lead adviser to the AISNSW on industrial strategy for its member schools following the two most recent and substantial legislative reforms and have advised on all subsequent negotiations for the multi enterprise agreements in the sector. A particular highlight was assisting in the development of a new model for remuneration and progression based on achievement of professional standards.
- Acting for the major commercial broadcasters (Seven, Nine and Ten) and publishing organisations (News, Bauer and Pacific magazines) in the Award Modernisation process and Award Review process in the Fair Work Commission.
- Advising the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on the negotiation of its enterprise agreements since 2010. Over a series of agreements, the ABC has achieved important changes without industrial action.
- Assisting clients with highly sensitive discrimination, harassment, bullying and general grievance matters – often involving senior staff and reputation critical issues – and keeping them about of the media.
- More than 20 years of advising the Qantas Group about the application of the disability discrimination regime in developing services for passengers requiring specific assistance, including developing Qantas and Jetstar's Disability Access Facilitation Plans, service dog policy and mobility assistance policy, as well as dealing with passenger complaints and successfully defending Jetstar's two wheelchair policy.
- Advising and supporting clients in relation to work health and safety to ensure compliance, prevent or reduce the risk of incidents occurring and respond immediately and proactively if an incident does occur. I have developed a deep expertise in WHS in the construction and aviation industry, advising and acting for Frasers Property Group, Qantas and Jetstar including in relation to contractor management; training and advising on preventative measures to avoid incidents; conducting internal investigations; and dealing with investigations by regulators. I have acted for a number of large employers in relation to industrial accidents resulting in deaths and serious injury, including representation in prosecutions and coronial inquests. I am currently acting for the defendants in the first Category 1 WHS prosecutions in NSW. I am also passionate about assisting Boards and officers to understand and meet their due diligence obligations by conducting training and advising about and developing the tools required to allow officers to fulfil those obligations.
- Delivering training to Boards, management and staff to provide practical guidance on employment law, grievance investigation, appropriate workplace behaviour (including discrimination, harassment and bullying), and work health and safety.
Education
BComm (Hons), LLB
Areas of Practice
- Education
- Employment
Professional Career
Articles
- HR&IR Wellness Update, 11 July 2017
- HR&IR Wellness Update, December 2016
- HR&IR Wellness Update, October 2016
- HR&IR Update | A glimpse at the changes proposed by the new Queensland Industrial Relations Bill 2016, 08 September 2016
- HR&IR Update | Federal Court prefers Esso's understanding of industrial action notice, 04 September 2015
- HR&IR Update | Not broken, but in need of repair: The Productivity Commission Draft Report, 05 August 2015
- Minter Ellison Alert | High Court rules that the implied term of trust and confidence is not part of Australian law, 10 September 2014
- HR&IR Update | Roy Morgan Group company fined more than $300,000 for sham contracting, 18 July 2014
- HR&IR Update | Night shifts a genuine occupational requirement for continuous shift workers, 03 July 2014
- HR&IR Update | The mysterious case of 'Ms SB' - Fair Work Commission hands down first bullying decision, 16 May 2014
- HR&IR Update | Federal Circuit Court awards over $200,000 for pregnancy discrimination, 09 May 2014
- HR&IR Update | Fair Work Amendment Bill 2014 tabled in Parliament, 27 February 2014
- WHS Update | Last quarter's hot issues, 10 October 2013
- HR&IR Post Election Update | The Coalition's Workplace Relations Policy, 09 September 2013
- HR&IR Update | Quarterly WHS Update - All eyes on bullying (and a few other things), 19 July 2013
- HR&IR Update | Workplace Relations - Amendment of the Fair Work Act, 28 June 2013
- HR&IR Update | "Keeping the Fair Work Framework and improving it": The Coalition announces its IR Policy, 10 May 2013
- HR&IR Update | Quarterly Update on WHS Harmonisation and Bullying, 03 April 2013
- HR&IR Update | Bullying, Family Friendly Measures and Other Proposed Changes, 27 March 2013
- HR&IR Update | Workplace Relations and the 2013 Federal Election Campaign:ÿAnnouncements by the Gillard Government and the Opposition, 12 March 2013
- HR&IR Update | A radical overhaul of discrimination law?, 20 November 2012
- HR&IR Update | Fair Work Amendment Bill 2012 introduced, 31 October 2012
- HR&IR Update | High Court overrules Federal Court in Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE v Barclay, 07 September 2012
- HR&IR Update | Government Releases Fair Work Act Review, 03 August 2012
- Alert - Government to effectively abolish LAFH concessions for most foreign employees, from 1 July 2012, 01 December 2011
- HR&IR Update | Federal Government introduces owner driver bill into Parliament, 28 November 2011
- HR&IR Update | Federal Court decides independent contractors are really employees and are entitled to annual leave and long service leave, 21 November 2011
- HR&IR Update | Federal Court refuses interlocutory injunction reinstating employee pending final trial, 14 November 2011
- HR&IR Update | OHS harmonisation - Keeping your finger on the pulse - Update on recent developments, 06 September 2011
- HR&IR Update | New anti-discrimination laws herald further protections for employees, 18 July 2011
- HR&IR Update | OHS harmonisation 2012 - where things stand and what you need to do now, 22 June 2011
- HR&IR Update | Are your systems in place? Employer responsibility for government paid parental leave from 1 July 2011, 06 June 2011
- HR&IR Update | James Warburton restrained until January 2012, 12 May 2011
- HR&IR Update | Workplace Safety, 06 May 2011
- Alert - Expertise, HR&IR and Workplace safety, 06 May 2011
- HR&IR Update | Year in Review 2010, December 2010
- HR&IR Update | Ulan Full Bench appeal fails: what does reasonable redeployment require?, November 2010
- HR&IR Update | Protecting your business from departing employees, September 2010
- HR&IR Update | Modern award issues resolved...?, July 2010
- HR&IR Update | Fair Work Act - emerging trends and key issues, May 2010
- HR&IR Update | Landmark decision to pave the way for future OH&S prosecutions, February 2010
- HR&IR Update | Australian Industrial Relations Commission releases final stage 4 awards, 07 December 2009
- HR&IR Update | Award modernisation is gathering pace, as the 1 January 2010 deadline draws closer, 06 April 2009
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