Anti discrimination laws and the Fair Work Act 2009 impose numerous restrictions on employment related decisions such as recruitment, promotion, transfer and termination. Those laws also prohibit certain forms of workplace conduct.  A failure to understand and manage these issues can result in liability for employees and employers.  In addition, workplace harassment and bullying can pose serious threats to the health, safety and welfare of people in the workplace, thereby placing the employer in breach of OHS legislation.  It is vital that preventative measures are taken to prevent adverse consequences.

This session will equip participants to identify unlawful workplace decisions and conduct and how those issues should be addressed in policies, procedures and employment contracts.  Participants will learn about the effects of harassment and bullying and the mechanisms to prevent this behaviour occurring in the workplace.

Employees can be affected by illness and injury arising from the employment and from activities undertaken outside the employment.  Employers need to be aware of the laws which can come into play and the practical steps to take when the prospect of ongoing employment is diminished by illness or injury.

This workshop addresses the laws with respect to compensation, health and safety, discrimination, privacy and termination in the context of employee illness and injury. The session is interactive with opportunities for questions, discussion and the consideration of case scenarios.

Performance management, discipline and termination of employment should be handled in a cautious and fair manner and with due regard to the relevant legal issues.  This is particularly important now as recent changes to unfair dismissal law have removed several of the exclusions which had previously prevented many claims against employers.

Participants in this workshop will be involved in a practical and interactive consideration of the key issues in managing performance, discipline and termination of employment.  Participants will receive practical tips for dealing with a variety of difficult situations.

Participants will work through the fundamental features of a written employment contract.  Participants will also consider key issues in organisational policies such as subject matter and potential pitfalls.  The session will also address the National Employment Standards which take effect on 1 January 2010 and how these standards are relevant to the contract of employment and organisation policies.  The session is interactive with opportunities for discussion, explanation and practical tips.

In this workshop, participants will learn about effective formal and informal complaints processes and the skills required to implement those processes. Participants will learn about the common sources of workplace grievances, the skills required to resolve less serious as well as serious complaints including, how to conduct a valid workplace investigation.  The workshop will address “difficult” but common issues that typically emerge when dealing with grievances. The session is interactive and includes workshop activities, hypothetical scenarios and opportunities for discussion.