Formal registrations for the Workplace Bullying, Harassment and Discrimination Conference are now closed. To enquire about a late registration, or to waitlist a place, please email eventsau@thomsonreuters.com

The Thomson Reuters Workplace Bullying, Harassment & Discrimination Conference series is taking place in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra and Brisbane over 27 August - 3 September 2019.

Workplace bullying, harassment and discrimination is widespread with major risk of legal fallout. Safe Work Australia statistics state that the average accepted bullying or harassment claim is over $22,600 – and that doesn’t include internal costs and the effect that it has on workplace culture. A 2010 Productivity Commission report estimated that bullying cost the Australian economy over $36 billion annually.

The Workplace Bullying, Harassment and Discrimination Conference aims to help you meet your legal obligations and foster workplace cultures that prevent unlawful and unfair treatment of employees.

The conference will provide both legal advisor and HR practitioner with pragmatic, practical guidance on range of current and contentious issues such as:

  • What is the law in relation to workplace bullying and harassment and FWC jurisdiction?
  • Disability and discrimination law and the obligation to make reasonable adjustments
  • Addressing sexual harassment and managing the legal fallout
  • How to manage a complaint and the process for responding quickly and fairly
  • How to do misconduct-based workplace investigations
  • How to manage performance when there are allegations of bullying and to minimise the risk of adverse actions
  • Streamlining the sexual harassment and bullying claims management process
  • Clamping down on bullying and harassment by understanding employer obligations
  • Mental Health and worker compensation
  • Case studies on effectively confront bullying and discrimination in the workplace

This is a must attend event If you wish to deal with the grey areas and challenges in workplace bullying, harassment and discrimination.

We look forward to you joining us.

Dates & Locations

Melbourne
27 August 2019 | Park Hyatt

Sydney
28 August 2019 | Sheraton on the Park

Canberra
29 August 2019 | Hyatt

Brisbane
3 September 2019 | Hilton

Cost

Early Bird
$595 + GST (save $100)
Early Bird pricing expires 16 July

Standard
$695 + GST

Sold out


For any event enquiries email eventsau@thomsonreuters.com

Conference attendance earns 6 CPD points in substantive law

Agenda

9:00AM

WELCOME FROM THE CHAIR

Melbourne: Andrew Jewell, Principal Lawyer, McDonald Murholme
Sydney: Danny King, Principal, Danny King Legal
Canberra: Rob Jackson, Partner, Rigby Cooke Lawyers
Brisbane: Kevin Yee, Partner, Danny King Legal

9:05AM

What is the law in relation to workplace bullying and harassment and FWC jurisdiction

  • What is bullying and what are the laws relating to it?
  • What is the scope of FWC jurisdiction and how does the FWC process work?
  • Outcomes of recent workplace bullying cases (Mr Andrew Hamer [2018] FWC 6307 and Mr Miroslav Blagojevic v ALG Macquarie Pty Ltd; Mitchell Seears [2018] FWCFB 4174).

Melbourne: Josh Bornstein, National Head of Employment, Maurice Blackburn
Sydney: Mia Pantechis, Senior Associate, Maurice Blackburn
Canberra: Rob Jackson, Partner, Rigby Cooke Lawyers
Brisbane: Patrick Turner, Associate, Maurice Blackburn

9:40AM

Workplace culture preventive strategies and understanding personality traits and disorders

Workplace bullying is said to cost up to $36 billion dollars in lost productivity annually. The impacts of it are felt not just by the victims, but also the broader organisation and economy. It is therefore critical to understand how it occurs and how it can be prevented.

  • Workplace bullying impact on workplace culture and productivity
  • Workplace preventative strategies and getting the workplace culture right
  • Effects of workplace bullying on the individual’s emotional health
  • Understanding difficult personality traits and personality disorders
  • Reasoning with unreasonable people

Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney:, Tania Murdock, Behavioural Scientist, Workplace Team Culture
Canberra: Jennifer Manson, Organisational Psychologist, Psychology @ Work

10:15AM

Networking and refreshment break

10:35AM

How best to manage a sexual harassment incident and preventive measures

According to the Australian Human Rights Commission, 39% of women and 26% of men have experienced sexual harassment at work. Managing the complaints process can be difficult, as the issues are often complex and emotive.

  • Sex Discrimination Act 1984 section 28A and jurisdiction options for harassment claims
  • How to manage an incident and what preventative measures need to be introduced
  • Procedures to be followed when a complaint is made
  • How to act fairly to the alleged victim and alleged perpetrator
  • Getting workplace culture right to prevent unlawful and unfair treatment of employees

Melbourne: Dominic Fleeton, Special Counsel, K&L Gates
Sydney: Lucy Shanahan, Partner, K&L Gates
Canberra: Kirsty Easdale, Senior Associate, Minter Ellison
Brisbane: Paul Hardman, Partner, K&L Gates

11:10AM

Clamping down on workplace bullying and harassment by understanding employer obligations

  • Employer’s rights and responsibilities when dealing with bullying and harassment
  • Implementing preventive policies and how to minimise risk
  • Following compliant procedures when bullying or harassment occurs

Melbourne: Tony Pick, Senior Associate, HWL Ebsworth
Sydney: Brad Swebeck, Partner, HWL Ebsworth
Canberra: Katie Weir, Senior Associate, HWL Ebsworth
Brisbane: Heinz Lepahe, Partner, HWL Ebsworth

12:25PM

Psychological and psychiatric injuries in the worker’s compensation scheme

  • Entitlements to compensation in state-based worker's compensation schemes and their application to workers suffering from psychological and psychiatric injury
  • How psychological and psychiatric injuries are assessed for the purposes of worker's compensation statutory entitlements and common law damages
  • The legal distinction between primary and secondary psychiatric harm
  • Psychological and psychiatric harm in the context of specific claim categories including excess workload, bullying and harassment and nervous shock claims
  • A brief overview of common crossover and/or additional entitlements for workers suffering from psychological harm; including Super/TPD

Melbourne: Tara Stark, Associate, Slater Gordon
Brisbane: Peta Yujnovich, Practice Group Leader, Kiran Birkin, Senior Associate and Sarah Singh, Associate, Slater Gordon
Sydney: Mahen Manokarathas,Associate, Slater Gordon
Canberra: Martin Carrick, Practice Group Leader, Slater Gordon

1:05PM

Lunch and networking break

1:55PM

Workplace investigations - best practice tips and how to avoid traps

  • Correct procedures in workplace investigation processes for both HR and legal professionals
  • Why, how, when and where investigations should be undertaken
  • Understanding an investigation’s conclusions

Melbourne & Canberra: Sarah Ralph, Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright
Sydney: David Cross, Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright
Brisbane: Martin Osborne, Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright

2:25PM

Ensuring the proper handling of harassment complaints

Upon the completion of an investigation, it’s critical that your response is appropriate. It needs to be fair to all parties and deliver an outcome that prevents further instances of bullying behavior.

  • How to reduce your legal risks by dealing with harassment complaints quickly and carefully
  • Setting up the procedures and policies, investigating complaints, preventing retaliation claims by the complaining employees
  • What is the appropriate action to take once there is evidence of harassment complaints from termination of employees to the use of lesser disciplinary actions such as warning or counseling

Melbourne: Catherine Dunlop, Partner, Employment, Safety & People, Maddocks
Sydney: Brigid Clark, Senior Associate, Maddocks
Canberra & Brisbane: James Mattson, Partner, Bartier Perry

3:00PM

Networking and refreshment break

3:20PM

So, you’ve been served with an application for orders to stop bullying. What next?

  • Once the matter is with the FWC, what happens?
  • Practical steps to be taken as a Respondent to a bullying claim in the FWC and will de-mystify the way the FWC typically handles these matters
  • Demystifying the way the FWC typically handles these matters
  • Know what to do, and what to expect, if ever on the receiving end of an Application for Orders to Stop Bullying in the FWC

Melbourne & Sydney: Danny King, Principal, Danny King Legal
Canberra: Cormac Foley, Solicitor, Danny King Legal
Brisbane: Kevin Yee, Partner, Danny King Legal

4:00PM

Performance management and workplace bullying

  • How to minimise the risk of bullying claims made in the context of a performance management process
  • What to do when an employee being performance managed claims they are being bullied
  • What constitutes reasonable management action?
  • Case law update

Melbourne: Emma Moran, Senior Associate, Gadens
Sydney & Canberra: Brett Feltham, Partner, Gadens
Brisbane: Jonathon Hadley, Partner, Gadens

4:40PM

CLOSING REMARKS FROM THE CHAIR AND END OF CONFERENCE