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More than ever employers are faced with the competing demands of ensuring that their business complies with constantly changing industrial laws yet remaining flexible enough to be able to respond to the commercial needs of their business environment.
We are in an ever changing environment with regard to workplace relations, employment and safety laws. For example, the Fair Work Act has, in a number of respects, “turned the tables” on many of the rules and regulations previously governing the employment relationship. The occupational, health and safety harmonisation process currently underway will again shift the rules on safety requirements at the workplace. These sweeping and constant changes coupled with ever increasing competitive business conditions and the growing cost of failing to comply with workplace laws, all demand that businesses stay on top of their legal obligations, without losing sight of the commercial outcomes required for their business to succeed.
This balance requires being armed with sound knowledge and the advice and expertise from a trusted and commercially focussed source.
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Why work with us
As part of a dynamic firm going through an exciting phase of innovation and growth, the WRES team is ideally placed to advise your business in the challenging business environment of today.
In managing the every day demands and challenges a workforce presents, you need responsive, decisive, and commercially relevant advice that is value for money. The WRES team led by Luke Connolly provides just that. We pride ourselves on timely solution based advice delivered in the most effective way for your business. We are flexible and willing to adapt to individual client needs on both service delivery and style (including on billing arrangements) appreciating that a “once size fits all” concept is not the best approach.
Ultimately, our aim is to assist you through your legal issues and concerns and get you back to what you do best as quickly as possible – focussing on your core business.
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Our Services
Our team offers advice and assistance across all areas of workplace relations, employment and safety law including:
- termination of employment matters including advice on managing misconduct investigations and disciplinary issues;
- restructuring of a business and the rights and obligations affecting employers and employees (including managing redundancy and redeployment of employees);
- drafting and implementation of appropriate contracts and workplace policies into the workplace, including with respect to contractors;
- advice on implementing appropriate industrial and workplace strategies including managing the enterprise bargaining process (and good faith bargaining requirements under the Fair Work Act);
- compliance advice in meeting requirements under industrial relations legislation including under the Fair Work Act and modern awards and, where required, representation in Fair Work Australia;
- advice on compliance with occupational health and safety laws including managing investigations and defending prosecutions by WorkSafe;
- advice on compliance with anti-discrimination laws at the workplace including on sexual harassment and bullying and victimisation and assistance and representation in VCAT, the VEOHRC and the AHRC;
- advice on managing contractors in the workplace and assistance with claims under the Independent Contractors Act, the Owner Drivers and Forestry Contractors Act or claims of "sham" arrangements under the Fair Work Act;
- advice on legal rights and obligations under contracts of employment or contractor agreements, particularly concerning restraint of trade and breach of confidentiality, and regarding concepts such as "garden leave" and "reasonable notice"; and
- managing disputation and representation in litigation in all industrial Tribunals and Courts.
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Key contacts
Luke Connolly
Partner
T: 61 3 9605 0958
E:
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