Live Webinar: Performance Management Without Pitfalls: A Pragmatic Guide to Process, Documentation and Risk Control

A misstep in performance management—no matter how well-intentioned—can hand an employee a “free kick” in the form of an unfair dismissal, general protections, or bullying claim. And when mental health concerns are involved, the risks and responsibilities for HR professionals multiply. This practical session will equip HR professionals to manage underperformance confidently, lawfully, and compassionately, with a focus on what to do, how to document it, and how to navigate mental health complexities along the way. It will:

• Step through a best-practice performance management process—covering both informal conversations and formal procedures—with a focus on procedural fairness, legal compliance, and psychological safety
• Clarify how to approach performance issues when mental health concerns are known, suspected, or disclosed mid-process—including when to pause, adjust, or proceed
• Provide tips for documenting performance concerns sensitively and thoroughly, especially where behaviour or capacity may be impacted by mental health
• Explore obligations to consider reasonable adjustments under anti-discrimination and WHS laws, and how to balance these with legitimate performance expectations
• Offer guidance for managing disengagement, delay tactics, or heightened emotional responses—without abandoning process or triggering avoidable claims
• Highlight the key risks of getting it wrong, from stress-related workers’ compensation claims to bullying allegations and reputational damage, with strategies to mitigate them