Canberra WHS Law agenda

National Review of the model WHS laws

• Discussing the outcomes of the review
• Understanding the key recommendations for changes to the Model WHS Laws
• Considering the implications for Victorian laws
• Understanding the next steps

Nicole Platt, Partner, Griffin Legal

The wellbeing and mental health conundrum – building a mental health program to create a respectful, healthy and productive workplace

• What is employer’s duty to prevent mental health risks within your workplace?
• Exploring the most recent evidence that mental health program has a clear return on investment
• Building evidence based strategic interventions
• Exploring the legal tools, business metrics and strategic responses to mental health issues

Kim McLagan, Principal Lawyer, FCW Lawyers

Effectively dealing with workplace bullying and harassment

• Understanding the importance of strong and accountable actions from HR
• Responding quickly once it occurs
• Taking mitigating actions
• Managing expectations, processes and privacy
• Investigations and alternatives
• Monitoring welfare and planning for the post-investigation phase

Catherine Dunlop, Partner, Maddocks

Dealing with serious WHS incidents for effective crisis management

• What are employers’ obligations when serious workplace incidents happen?
• Managing serious incidents within 48 hours for effective initial response
• Submitting written notification to regulators
• Conducting incident investigations

Maxine Feletti, Partner, Sparke Helmore

Understanding directors’ duty and ensuring compliance with individual prosecution

• Exercising due diligence to comply with WHS obligations
• Exploring current developments in personal liability
• Understanding officer liability in major incidents
• What penalties employers may face?

Kirsty Easdale, Senior Associate, Minter Ellison

Exploring practical strategies for effective contractor management in the ACT

• Discussing specific requirements for managing contractors in the ACT
• Dealing with workplace incidents involving contractors and subcontractors
• Exploring practical approaches for managing safety with contractors

William Ward, Practice Leader, Employment & Workplace Relations, Meyer Vandenberg Lawyers

Afternoon tea

Exploring practical steps to balance performance management and support for mental health

• Reducing psychological hazards in performance management process
• Improving managers’ capability in identifying the early warning sign of mental health issues
• What’s employer’s duty once an employee with a mental health issue has been identified?
• Performance managing employee suffering with psychological injuries
• Discussing termination of employment of an employee with a mental health issue

Elissa Speight, Partner, Ashurst

Managing return to work process and facilitating a quick return to work

• Minimising the duration and costs of claims for an efficient case management
• Intervening early and enabling workplace adjustments for workers to stay at work whilst recovering from injury
• What are the impacts of long return to work process to employers?
• Handling difficult return to work cases

Bede Gahan, Partner, HWL Ebsworth