The Friday Workplace Briefing

This week,  J im Babalis  and  Tom Daly  will be presenting on what Work from Home means for Victorian employers. The Victorian Government has introduced proposed legislation that could significantly change workplace rights for employees working from home. If passed, the  Equal Opportunity Amendment (Work from Home) Bill 2026  will introduce a new statutory right for...

This week,  Kim McLagan  and  Monnette Samo  will be presenting on The Key Role of Supervision in Safety. A recent NSW Industrial Court case serves as a timely reminder of the importance of effective supervision in the workplace. Following a serious incident involving a worker who suffered life-changing burns, the Court found there had been multiple safety failures, includ...

Recent Full Bench proceedings have provided one of the first significant opportunities to examine how the Fair Work Act's sexual harassment dispute framework operates in practice, particularly where alleged conduct spans periods before and after the commencement of the Respect@Work reforms. Join  Andrew Douglas  and  Kim McLagan  as we explore the key issues arising from this i...

The FWA and Australians Working Overseas: How Far Does Our Workplace Legislation Extend Beyond Australia? As businesses increasingly engage employees who live and work outside Australia, understanding the reach of Australian workplace laws has never been more important. In this podcast  Andrew Douglas  and  Jim Babalis  explore the circumstances in which overseas-based employee...

Join  Andrew Douglas  and  Kim McLagan  as they discuss the Fair Work Commission’s Annual Wage Review and what it means for employers. The session will cover the impact of the wage review decision on award-covered employees, enterprise agreement employees, and employees engaged under common law contracts, along with key considerations ahead of the 1 July 2026 changes. Don...

Workplace bullying remains a key focus for employers across Victoria, with ongoing developments in workplace health and safety obligations, psychosocial hazard regulations, and employer responsibilities continuing to shape the legal landscape. As regulators and courts place greater attention on workplace conduct and psychosocial risks, organisations need to stay informed about what these changes m...

Recent decisions from the Fair Work Commission and the Federal Circuit Court have sent a powerful message to employers and individual workers alike — sexual harassment liability is expanding rapidly, and the financial consequences are becoming increasingly significant. In the second major decision delivered within two weeks, substantial compensation orders were made against individual respon...

When misconduct happens outside of work hours, employers are often faced with a difficult question: should a workplace investigation pause while criminal proceedings are underway? In this week’s Friday Workplace Briefing,  Kim McLagan  and  Monnette Samo  unpack the legal boundaries of investigating employee conduct outside the workplace, including when private behaviour...

When is a workplace right not really a workplace right? It’s a question more organisations are facing as complaints increase - particularly when they may not be raised in good faith. Can you recognise when a workplace right complaint is legitimate, and not made for an ulterior purpose? Understanding the difference is critical to avoid harm to your organisation. Misusing workplace rights can...

We’re pleased to share our latest podcast episode, where  Andrew Douglas  and  Kim McLagan  explore how reliance by directors on others can create a false sense of security. However, reliance does not remove responsibility. Directors remain ultimately accountable, and where things go wrong, they may still be held liable. Understanding where reliance ends and responsi...

We’re excited to share our latest podcast episode, where we examine the much-vexed issue of our employee communications with the media - both mainstream and social media. In this episode,  A ndrew Douglas  and  Jim Babalis  explore what this means in practice, by looking at the risks, responsibilities, and real-world implications for both employees and organisations....

In our latest video,  Andrew Douglas  and a special guest cover an important and often misunderstood topic: Safety Regulator misconduct investigations. Another case demonstrates safety regulators’ march into general workplace people management—this time focusing on the psychological hazards of investigating misconduct. It’s scary how far psychological hazard law ha...

There has been a rise in penalty awards for serious workplace safety injuries, bringing increased attention to how organisations manage risk, compliance, and accountability. For many businesses, this shift carries significant financial and reputational implications, making it more important than ever to stay informed and prepared. In this episode,  Kim McLagan  and  Jim Babalis &nbs...

In this discussion,  Andrew Douglas  and  Monnette Samo  examine the complex legal issue of double jeopardy in the context of workplace safety and criminal law. While the principle of double jeopardy is intended to prevent a person from being tried or punished twice for the same offence, serious workplace incidents can raise difficult questions when both safety legislation and...

Work-from-home is back in the spotlight, with the Labor government signalling stronger support for flexible work arrangements.  Join us this week as   A ndrew Douglas  and  Kim McLagan  discuss what this actually means for employers. Recent workplace law discussions give employees greater ability to request flexible work, including working from home, and require employers...

Join us this week as Andrew Douglas  and  Kim McLagan  lead an engaging discussion on the topic  “Who Are We at Work?”  In this session, they’ll explore the balance between being respected and being liked in the workplace, and examine the potential risks that can come with personal disclosure in professional environments. Andrew and Kim will help unpack h...

Andrew Douglas  and  Tom Daly  explore one of the most pressing and complex challenges facing Australian workplaces today: overseas workers, racism, and safety. As public debate continues to be shaped by anti-immigration rhetoric, it is critical for organisations to focus on the facts. Australia’s economy depends on both skilled and unskilled migrant labour. Beyond filling wor...

This week, our presenters  Kim McLagan  and  Monnette Samo  look forward to sharing key insights and developments from the past week, including an important and timely discussion on workplace sexual harassment. Courts and Tribunals are continuing to take an increasingly firm approach to sexual harassment claims. Recent decisions demonstrate a clear expectation that employers mu...

We’re pleased to welcome  Andrew Douglas  back for his first Friday Workplace Briefing of the year, joined this week by  Monnette Samo . The landscape of psychological injury claims within Australia’s workers’ compensation schemes is undergoing significant change. With NSW’s new Psychological Claims amendment now passed through Parliament — an...

We’re delighted to bring the  Friday Workplace Briefing  back to your inboxes for 2026. This week’s session features  Jim Babalis , presenting for the very first time, alongside  Kim McLagan , as they unpack a critical workplace issue:  medical absence and termination . The briefing will explore when  prolonged absence may allow for termination , particula...

As we head into the festive season, workplace celebrations are gearing up — but so too are the risks that employers need to keep front of mind. This week, we dive into Christmas parties and employee safety, and Andrew and Kim explore a topic that unfortunately remains all too relevant: “All I want for Christmas is respect – the never-ending saga of sexual harassment at Christmas...

in the latest episode of Friday Workplace Briefing, Andrew and Nina discuss one of the most timely and challenging issues facing employers today: privacy and out-of-work behaviour — and when it crosses the line into disciplinable conduct. They explore the new case of Margetts v State of Queensland (Queensland Health) (No 2), which clarifies the limits of the landmark case of Rose v Telstra i...

In the latest episode of Friday Workplace Briefing,  Andrew  and  Kim  break down a critical issue for employers: how to get your drug and alcohol policy right— and  follow it consistently. Too often, organisations act impulsively and require testing without clear process or explanation. This episode highlights the common pitfalls and offers practical guidance t...

In the latest episode of Friday Workplace Briefing,  Andrew  and  Tom  explore a timely and important topic:  why complaining about work online is  not  a workplace right under general protections . They explore how employees who air grievances online may unintentionally breach their employment obligations — and the real disciplinary risks that can follow....

In the latest episode of Friday Workplace Briefing, Andrew and Nina discuss What Happens When You are Assaulted and WFH-yes, it is Compensable. Any Physical or Psychological Hazard Experienced Whilst Working from Home that Causes Harm is Both a Safety Issue and a Compensable Injury. To view the full episode and catch up with the week’s latest news and developments, please visit this  li...