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Conference | 26 May 2026 | Melbourne & Online
Industrial & workplace relations conference Legal update and practical business solutions for HR managers
We are delighted to announce the Thomson Reuters Industrial & Workplace Relations Conference, taking place on 26 May 2026 in Melbourne and Online.
Employers face a multitude of legal challenges as employment laws and policies rapidly evolving, HR professionals need to stay abreast of the latest legal developments and navigate these challenges. This is a must-attend event for anyone dealing with the grey areas and challenges in employment legislation and regulation. Learn about the implications of industrial relations reforms, conducting effective employee investigations, terminations, positive duty and sexual harassment, psychosocial safety, and workplace privacy and surveillance.
Event highlights
• IR Reform: threats and opportunities when bargaining in the new world – Erin Hawthorne, Partner, Seyfarth
• Practical Guidance on the Redefined 'Casual' Employees vs permanent employment – Nick Ruskin, Partner, K&L Gates
• Navigating Employee Relations: The Advisor’s Role – Chris Gardner, Partner, Seyfarth
• WFH - Flexible Working Arrangements: What to do when there is a dispute – Kaitlyn Gulle, Partner, Lander & Rogers
• What HR needs to know about changes to privacy invasion changes and surveillance – Chris Molnar, Partner, Kennedys
• How to conduct an effective workplace investigation – Chris Gianatti, Director | Practice Group Leader - Workplace Relations & Safety, KHQ Lawyers
• Terminations and performance management - preventing unfair dismissal and general protections claims – Adam Foster, Partner, Colin Biggers & Paisley
• Managing Psychosocial Safety in the Workplace - mitigating risks to prevent non-compliance – Catherine Dunlop, Partner Employment, Safety & People, Maddocks
• Positive Duty and sexual harassment prevention - latest developments – James Farrugia, Senior Associate, Moray & Agnew
• Conference Chair – Allie Terrill, Principal, Astrid Legal
Date & Location
26 May 2026
Melbourne & Online
Time
08:30 AM – 5:00 PM AEDT
Cost
- Early Bird - $999* excl GST
- Full Price - $1,099 excl. GST
- Livestream - $949 excl. GST
*Early Bird ends 10th April 2026
Gain up to 6 CPD points
For event enquiries, please email eventsanz@thomsonreuters.com
Benefits of attending
• Understand new IR reforms, workplace laws, compliance requirements, and penalties for 2026
• Protect your organisation from risk: Avoid costly fines, disputes, and reputational damage by staying compliant
• Get expert insights from top legal and industry professionals breaking down complex legislation
• Navigate workplace challenges and tackle issues like the WFH disputes, psychosocial safety, positive duty and sexual harassment, workplace investigations, terminations and workplace misconduct
• Walk away with actionable steps to strengthen your HR and compliance policies, improve engagement and productivity
• Best-practice tips for HR Managers
Who should attend?
• Human Resources Directors, Human Resource Managers
• Employee Relations Managers, People & Culture Managers, HR Business Partners
• Employment Lawyers
• In-house Counsel
• Employer Associations & Unions
Speakers
Adam Foster
Partner
Colin Biggers & Paisley
Allie Terrill
Principal
Astrid Legal
Catherine Dunlop
Partner Employment
Safety & People
Maddocks
Chris Gardner
Partner
Seyfarth
Chris Gianatti
Director
Practice Group Leader - Workplace Relations & Safety
KHQ Lawyers
Chris Molnar
Partner
Kennedys
Erin Hawthorne
Partner
Seyfarth
James Farrugia
Senior Associate
Moray & Agnew
Kaitlyn Gulle
Partner
Lander & Rogers
Nick Ruskin
Partner
K&L Gates
Agenda
| 8:30 AM | Registration opens |
| 9:00 AM | Welcome from Conference Chair Allie Terrill, Principal, Astrid Legal |
| 9:05 AM | IR Reform: threats and opportunities when bargaining in the new world • Same job, same pay and the future of outsourcing • Multi-employer bargaining - impact to date and a look ahead • How intractable bargaining disputes affect the negotiation strategy • How to maximise leverage in the negotiation Erin Hawthorne, Partner, Seyfarth |
| 9:45 AM | Practical Guidance on the Redefined 'Casual' Employees vs permanent employment • The Closing Loopholes No. 2 Act and a new definition of casual employees in the Fair Work Act |
| 10:25 AM | Networking and refreshment break |
| 10:50 AM | Navigating Employee Relations: The Advisor’s Role The ER Advisor/ Manager is now business critical in a regulatory environment that has never been tougher. Against the legal backdrop, Chris Gardner explores four key components - mastery (subject expertise and skill), great judgement, a strategic mindset, and the ability to influence outcomes that Employee Relations Professionals need in order to become highly effective and trusted advisors. Chris Gardner, Partner, Seyfarth |
| 11:30 AM | WFH - Flexible Working Arrangements: What to do when there is a dispute • How to balance employees’ rights to request flexible working arrangements, and employers right to refuse under certain conditions • Closing the Loop reforms and options available and entitlements for flexible working arrangements • FWC can review decisions to refuse requests for flexible working arrangements • Right of appeal and steps workplaces should be taking in light of this Kaitlyn Gulle, Partner, Lander & Rogers |
| 12:10 PM | Lunch and networking break |
| 1:00 PM | What HR needs about changes to privacy invasion changes and surveillance • What are the changes for privacy invasion and reasonable expectation of employee privacy? • Implications for HR for legal recourse if their employer improperly accesses or mishandles their personal data or invades their privacy in the course of employment. • Implications for surveillance or authorising surveillance of employees • Status on Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) employee records exemption • Potential penalties Chris Molnar, Partner, Kennedys |
| 1:40 PM | How to conduct an effective workplace investigation • Can you investigate without receiving a complaint or if a complainant requests that no further action be taken? • Overview of investigation process- when, where, how • What does a good investigation look like? • The importance of a trauma-informed approach • Managing difficult or reluctant witnesses • Preparing a report and making findings Chris Gianatti, Director | Practice Group Leader - Workplace Relations & Safety, KHQ Lawyers |
| 2:20 PM | Terminations and performance management - preventing unfair dismissal and general protections claims • What is poor performance, how this measured and communicated • Valid reasons for dismissal and circumstances in which to seek specialist legal advice • Performance management and disciplinary procedures • Attending to serious misconduct • Termination and preventing unfair dismissal claims • Lessons from recent court decisions • Probation period, practical considerations, and legal exposures Adam Foster, Partner, Colin Biggers & Paisley |
| 3:00 PM | Networking and refreshment break |
| 3:20 PM | Managing Psychosocial Safety in the Workplace - mitigating risks to prevent non-compliance • Recent amendments across the states and territories • Changes to model WHS laws by SafeWork Australia • Enforcement and penalties by WHS regulators • How do you manage psychosocial hazards for remote workers? • Changes to vilification, social cohesion and workplace conduct laws in Victoria • Recent cases, Case studies and guidance Catherine Dunlop, Partner Employment, Safety & People, Maddocks |
| 4:00 PM | Positive Duty and sexual harassment prevention - latest developments As employers work towards enhanced governance around the ‘positive duty’, achieving compliance remains a challenge. This session will provide further clarity on prevention and response plans on the recent positive duty. • Practical examples of how employers can meet the positive duty • Key actions required to ensure compliance with the federal positive duty • What proposals can we expect to see in the coming years? James Farrugia, Senior Associate, Moray & Agnew |
| 4:40 PM | Closing remarks from the Chair and end of conference |
Contact us
Attendees:
If you have any questions about the event or your registration, please contact us at eventsanz@thomsonreuters.com
Sponsor Sales:
If you are interested in partnering with us, please contact George Katrivesis at george.katrivesis@thomsonreuters.com