Senior Associate - Workplace Relations

at  Russell Kennedy Lawyers

We are seeking to appoint a Senior Associate to join our Workplace Relations (Employment, Education and Safety) team. The successful applicant will have 3 to 5 years’ post admission experience.
We provide trusted advice across a broad range of industries on contracts and policies. Our expertise extends to managing performance, disciplinary issues, workplace investigations, long-term injuries, and organisational change.
We are experienced in the interpretation, drafting, negotiation and lodgement of enterprise agreements and awards. We advise on protected industrial action, good faith bargaining and union right of entry, taking care to balance our clients’ legal obligations with practical considerations.
We also support our clients with managing bullying, discrimination, sexual harassment and unfair dismissal matters. We give guidance regarding compliance with safety obligations under the Victorian system and harmonised national laws, and help clients to respond to workplace safety incidents and deal with investigators including WorkSafe and other regulators.
The role will primarily be undertaking a wide variety of work across employment, industrial relations, equal opportunity and safety work in many different industries. Practitioners also perform student safety, complaint management, regulatory compliance and governance work in our nationally-recognised work in independent education.

SKILLS/KNOWLEDGE

• Exceptional drafting skills, with meticulous attention to detail;
• Effective communication and relationship building abilities;
• Advanced time management skills;
• Financial acumen;
• Litigation and /or corporate governance experience is desirable; and
• Expertise within the Education sector is desirable.

• Providing employment advice to clients on a range of issues, including:
• commencement of employment;
• terms and conditions of employment;
• performance management;
• termination of employment;
• equal opportunity;
• sexual harassment;
• occupational health and safety;
• independent contractors; and
• student safety in the education sector.
• Drafting contracts of employment, contracts for service, Deeds, policies and procedures, pleadings etc.
• Negotiating, preparing and lodging Enterprise Agreements.
• Providing advice to clients about award coverage and the interpretation of enterprise agreements.
• Conducting litigation such as:
• unfair dismissal/ adverse action/ industrial action/ bullying claims at the FWC;
• breach of contract claims in the State Courts; and
• claims of discrimination at the VEOHRC or AHRC.
• Dealing with student discipline, safety and wellbeing issues.
• Researching - to keep abreast of employment law changes.
• Business Development activities, including writing articles, and the creation and presentation of client seminars on employment law changes.