Day Two: IR Conference
Address challenges for HR and IR professionals face, effectively navigate legislative changes and restrictions and enhance collaboration with businesses and stakeholders.
8:30am
Coffee and networking
9:00am
Opening comments
9:15am
OPENING KEYNOTE: Evolving IR landscape
This session will explore some things you might have missed about the recent Closing Loopholes amendments to the Fair Work Act, such as new rights for union delegates, limitations on casual fixed term contracts, the end of casual conversion, a new form of uncertainty around employment status, and an important tip for enterprise bargaining. It will also look ahead to possible changes that might be coming either ahead of or after the next federal election.
10:15am
SESSION 2: Valuable lessons learned from Conducting 100 Wage Remediation Projects
The constant public scrutiny of payroll underpayments has made reputation risk management a top priority for employers. Any misstep in compliance with minimum rates of pay can lead to lasting damage to the employer’s image and brand. The evolving Australian industrial relations landscape is prompting HR Leaders to prioritise payroll compliance.
In the last seven years, Yellow Canary has undertaken almost 100 remediation projects for major Australian employers, accruing valuable insights that can help mitigate the risk of underpayments.
Join Marcus Zeltzer, Co-founder and MD of Yellow Canary as he navigates critical aspects of payroll compliance.
Key takeaways:
- How the evolving Australian legislative framework is impacting employers
- Key drivers and red flags of payroll non-compliance
- Why wage remediations are only a race to the starting line and how to prepare for one
- How HR leaders can form proactive compliance frameworks
- Emerging compliance issues that HR professionals should prioritise
11:00am
Morning tea, expo, networking
11:30am
SESSION 3a: Complexities associated with working remotely: How to successfully navigate changing patterns of work
Working remotely (including from home) is certainly here to stay. Along with other forms of flexibility (and an employee’s right to challenge employer decisions in this area), employees performing their roles remotely some, or all, of the time looks set to become entrenched into the Australian employment and industrial relations framework as the Fair Work Commission (Commission) considers, as part of the Modern Awards Review 2023-24, whether modern awards should be varied to include work-from-home (WFH) rights.
Along with existing rights to flexibility, what will this all mean for employers? Who will very likely be responsible for advising their employers and managing remote work arrangements?
Join Emily Haar, Partner, and Emily Slaytor, Special Counsel, from Piper Alderman as they discuss the existing legislative framework impacting remote work, and how to balance both the many risks and the rewards of remote work, to protect the employer’s interests whilst promoting an engaged, safe, and productive workforce.
12:00pm
SESSION 3b: What does the right to disconnect mean - are we on 24/7?
Advances in technology mean employees are now more contactable than ever, and with more people working at home than ever before, the line between when work stops and home life begins has become ever more blurred. In response to what commentators call ‘availability creep’ (i.e. the trend for employees to be available to be called on by their employer for more and more of their day), the government has introduced, for the first time, a ‘right to disconnect’ from work outside of work hours. In this session, Simon Obee will explain how the new right operates and in what circumstances employees can and can’t be required to respond to contact once their working day has finished. He will also detail practical tips for HR professionals to effectively prepare for and manage the new changes.
12:30pm
SESSION 4: Q & A: Balancing act: Navigating work from home dynamics and the right to disconnect
Join us for a Q&A session on remote work and the right to disconnect.
After discussing the challenges and benefits of remote work and the right to disconnect, Emily Haar and Simon Obee will join together for a Q&A session. This is your opportunity to pose all of your unanswered questions and gain valuable insights and practical advice on these important topics.
1:00pm
Lunch, expo and networking
2:00pm
SESSION 5: Around the Grounds - Navigating the challenging landscape of workplace regulations, with a focus on fostering a culture of safety and accountability
The panel discussion “Around the Grounds – navigating the challenging landscape of workplace regulations, with a focus on fostering a culture of safety and accountability” – will bring together leading legal experts to explore the complex interplay between workplace health and safety (WHS), workers compensation, and industrial relations (IR). The session will delve into how these areas of law intersect in practical scenarios, highlighting the responsibilities of employers and rights of employees. Experts will share their respective insights on recent tribunal decisions and commission rulings, examining how these legal precedents shape workplace policies and practices and discuss current trends.
3:00pm
Afternoon Tea, expo and networking
3:30pm
SESSION 6: What impossibility is nagging you?
All about your bugbears, hidden disasters and conundrums. For this session, roaming employment lawyer Will Snow will be getting your questions and concerns from the conference floor over the day. He will interrupt your coffee. He will butt in on your networking. He will ask you about the worries keeping you up at night (HR related). The session itself promises to be unpredictable, topical and entirely audience-lead. Thankfully Chris Wood will be moderating the chaos.
4:30pm
CLOSING COMMENTS
8:30am
Coffee and networking
9:00am
Opening comments
9:15am
OPENING KEYNOTE: Evolving IR landscape
This session will explore some things you might have missed about the recent Closing Loopholes amendments to the Fair Work Act, such as new rights for union delegates, limitations on casual fixed term contracts, the end of casual conversion, a new form of uncertainty around employment status, and an important tip for enterprise bargaining. It will also look ahead to possible changes that might be coming either ahead of or after the next federal election.
10:15am
SESSION 2: Valuable lessons learned from Conducting 100 Wage Remediation Projects
The constant public scrutiny of payroll underpayments has made reputation risk management a top priority for employers. Any misstep in compliance with minimum rates of pay can lead to lasting damage to the employer’s image and brand. The evolving Australian industrial relations landscape is prompting HR Leaders to prioritise payroll compliance.
In the last seven years, Yellow Canary has undertaken almost 100 remediation projects for major Australian employers, accruing valuable insights that can help mitigate the risk of underpayments.
Join Marcus Zeltzer, Co-founder and MD of Yellow Canary as he navigates critical aspects of payroll compliance.
Key takeaways:
- How the evolving Australian legislative framework is impacting employers
- Key drivers and red flags of payroll non-compliance
- Why wage remediations are only a race to the starting line and how to prepare for one
- How HR leaders can form proactive compliance frameworks
- Emerging compliance issues that HR professionals should prioritise
11:00am
Morning tea, expo, networking
11:30am
SESSION 3a: Complexities associated with working remotely: How to successfully navigate changing patterns of work
Working remotely (including from home) is certainly here to stay. Along with other forms of flexibility (and an employee’s right to challenge employer decisions in this area), employees performing their roles remotely some, or all, of the time looks set to become entrenched into the Australian employment and industrial relations framework as the Fair Work Commission (Commission) considers, as part of the Modern Awards Review 2023-24, whether modern awards should be varied to include work-from-home (WFH) rights.
Along with existing rights to flexibility, what will this all mean for employers? Who will very likely be responsible for advising their employers and managing remote work arrangements?
Join Emily Haar, Partner, and Emily Slaytor, Special Counsel, from Piper Alderman as they discuss the existing legislative framework impacting remote work, and how to balance both the many risks and the rewards of remote work, to protect the employer’s interests whilst promoting an engaged, safe, and productive workforce.
12:00pm
SESSION 3b: What does the right to disconnect mean - are we on 24/7?
Advances in technology mean employees are now more contactable than ever, and with more people working at home than ever before, the line between when work stops and home life begins has become ever more blurred. In response to what commentators call ‘availability creep’ (i.e. the trend for employees to be available to be called on by their employer for more and more of their day), the government has introduced, for the first time, a ‘right to disconnect’ from work outside of work hours. In this session, Simon Obee will explain how the new right operates and in what circumstances employees can and can’t be required to respond to contact once their working day has finished. He will also detail practical tips for HR professionals to effectively prepare for and manage the new changes.
12:30pm
SESSION 4: Q & A: Balancing act: Navigating work from home dynamics and the right to disconnect
Join us for a Q&A session on remote work and the right to disconnect.
After discussing the challenges and benefits of remote work and the right to disconnect, Emily Haar and Simon Obee will join together for a Q&A session. This is your opportunity to pose all of your unanswered questions and gain valuable insights and practical advice on these important topics.
1:00pm
Lunch, expo and networking
2:00pm
SESSION 5: Around the Grounds - Navigating the challenging landscape of workplace regulations, with a focus on fostering a culture of safety and accountability
The panel discussion “Around the Grounds – navigating the challenging landscape of workplace regulations, with a focus on fostering a culture of safety and accountability” – will bring together leading legal experts to explore the complex interplay between workplace health and safety (WHS), workers compensation, and industrial relations (IR). The session will delve into how these areas of law intersect in practical scenarios, highlighting the responsibilities of employers and rights of employees. Experts will share their respective insights on recent tribunal decisions and commission rulings, examining how these legal precedents shape workplace policies and practices and discuss current trends.
3:00pm
Afternoon Tea, expo and networking
3:30pm
SESSION 6: What impossibility is nagging you?
All about your bugbears, hidden disasters and conundrums. For this session, roaming employment lawyer Will Snow will be getting your questions and concerns from the conference floor over the day. He will interrupt your coffee. He will butt in on your networking. He will ask you about the worries keeping you up at night (HR related). The session itself promises to be unpredictable, topical and entirely audience-lead. Thankfully Chris Wood will be moderating the chaos.
4:30pm
CLOSING COMMENTS
Amplify: Navigating complexity, change and growth in HR
Join us on an enlightening journey to ‘Amplify’ your HR expertise and drive organisational success.