Recent Workplace Reforms: Bracing for Impact – a recorded lunchtime online conference

Session 1: Addressing Psychosocial Hazards in the Workplace: Adapting to a New Era

Recent amendments signal a clear shift towards ensuring that employers address the risks to psychological health arising from stress, aggression and bullying, and are driving organizations to adopt more robust measures in safeguarding employee well-being. With the reforms triggering enhanced oversight and enforcement by WHS regulators, it has never been more important for employers to be across the new landscape. This practical session explores the evolving laws, emerging trends, and proactive strategies that can help employers cultivate a safe and healthy work environment while mitigating legal and reputational risks. It covers:

• Understanding psychosocial hazards in the workplace:
  • Work-related stress
  • Bullying and harassment
  • Workplace violence
  • Organisational culture and leadership
  • Lack of role clarity
  • Work-life balance and workload
• Recognising the signs and symptoms of psychosocial hazards
• Legal framework and compliance:
  • Recent amendments across the states and territories
  • Changes to model WHS laws by SafeWork Australia
  • Understanding the penalties involved
• Implications of the changes for employers
• What should employers be doing now?
  • Undertaking compliance reviews of existing systems, policies and procedures
  • Reviewing complaints, investigations and disciplinary action processes
  • Educating key personnel
• Case studies and lessons learned

Session 2: No Bargains for Employers in the new Workplace Reforms

The newly introduced changes to enterprise bargaining represent the most significant reforms to Australia’s industrial relations framework for over a decade. Employers need to start planning and preparing for these reforms, which undoubtedly put them on the back foot. This session will provide a guide to the reforms and practical tips for managing enterprise bargaining, including:

• Key changes and their implications
• Planning and preparing for multi-employer arrangements
• New start powers for enterprise bargaining and other procedural changes
• Global assessment in enterprise agreement approvals
• Sunset periods and termination of agreements
• The powers of the Fair Work Commission to resolve enterprise bargaining disputes
• Steps employers need to be taking now.

Session 3: It’s the Little Things That Matter: Employment Law Round-Up from the last 12 Months

Keeping up with the changes in legislation and case law is a difficult task. The bigger ticket items have hit the headlines, but there are some lesser known but equally important changes that HR practitioners need to be aware of. This session will highlight some of these and their impact on employers, including:

•         Pay secrecy and what it means in practice

•         Reforms to paid and unpaid parental leave in various legislation and how employers need to change their policies and processes to reflect these changes

•         Paid family and domestic violence leave, including changes to pay slip obligations

•         The introduction of superannuation as part of the National Employment Standards and changes to permitted deductions in the Protected Worker Entitlements legislation

•         The Omnibus legislation planned for the second half of 2023 - which is expected to include changes in relation to casual employees, wage theft, contractors, discrimination and general protections and sham contracting