Working in Employee Relations

General employment

We assist clients in a range of general employment issues such as remuneration strategies and termination, employment policies and human resources management. We are involved at every stage of the employment relationship, from the interview and contract negotiations to managing performance and termination of employment. We regularly advise clients in relation to restraint of trade issues often involving potential injunctions.

Occupational health and safety

We assist clients in managing the risks to health and safety that exist in a workplace. To minimise such risks, we provide training, advice, strategy and implementation procedures. When prevention measures fail and an incident does occur, we manage the resulting injuries and claims to achieve the best outcome for the worker and the organisation. Where proceedings are commenced against clients, we are actively involved in either defending the matter or seeking to minimise our client’s exposure to penalties. We assist employers with advice on strategies for claims minimisation and management, rehabilitation and return to work obligations and measures.

Equal opportunity

Equal opportunity in the workplace is a key issue for employers and employees. We provide staff training and advise clients on equal opportunity policy implementation, management practices and workplace environment and culture. We also represent our clients in proceedings.

Industrial relations

We provide commercially focused advice in the area of industrial relations.

Our services include developing employee relations strategies, planning and implementing workplace reform, preventing, managing and resolving industrial disputes, negotiating enterprise agreements and advocacy. This area of our practice involves regular tribunal work.

Your role as a graduate

As a graduate your role may include:

• legal research
• meeting with clients
• instructing counsel and meeting with them in preparation for court
• meeting with witnesses and drafting witness statements
• preparing internal and external advice
• providing training to clients in the areas discussed
• instructing counsel
• drafting contracts
• appearing in courts and tribunals on behalf of clients, and
• assisting at all stages in preparation for litigation in various courts and tribunals, including Supreme and Federal Courts, as well as Fair Work Australia.