Leading employment lawyers to unpack 2026's biggest compliance challenges for employers
HR leaders can expect a packed day of expert guidance as the Employment Law Masterclass Australia returns on 19 August, a one-day virtual event covering the most pressing compliance challenges facing Australian employers in 2026.
The masterclass will be chaired by Katie Kossian, special counsel, employment, safety and people at Maddocks, who will open proceedings.
The day begins with a session on wage compliance, led by Kate Pennicott, partner at MinterEllison, unpacking where employers most commonly go wrong on wages, record-keeping and payroll, and how to respond if underpayments are uncovered.
Helene Lee, partner, and Angela Cartwright, senior associate, both of Dentons, will then examine flexible work and new entitlements, clarifying when employers must accommodate requests and when alternative arrangements are reasonable.
Melini Pillay, principal at McCabes, will follow with a session on Respect@Work in practice, covering the positive duty, recent case law on sexual harassment, and the use of non-disclosure agreements.
Alana Rafter, senior associate at Australian Business Lawyers & Advisors, will provide an update on psychosocial safety mandates, including where safety inspectors are focusing their attention.
Brigid Clark, partner at Addisons, will then share strategies for managing ill and injured workers, from first disclosure through to potential termination for incapacity.
The afternoon opens with Adam Battagello, partner at Lander & Rogers, on conducting legally defensible workplace investigations. The session will cover how to stamp out HR bias in high-level cases, document findings to counter the rise in AI-assisted litigants, and minimise settlement risks.
Rhian O'Sullivan, senior legal counsel at Energy Queensland, will then address restructures, including the legal elements of genuine redundancy, consultation and redeployment obligations, and AI-driven redundancies.
Peter McNulty, partner at Ashurst, will present the 2026 industrial relations playbook, exploring how the Secure Jobs, Better Pay reforms are being tested in the Fair Work Commission and the courts.
James Parkinson, partner at Kingston Reid, will examine the rise of self-represented litigants in the AI era, explaining how generative AI is fuelling a surge in employees pursuing their own claims, and why these matters are taking longer and costing employers more.
The day concludes with an interactive Ask the Experts Q&A panel featuring McNulty, Pillay, and Cynthia Elachi, partner at Clayton Utz.
It's not too late to sign up for the upcoming virtual event! Reserve your spot by registering here. Save more than 10% by securing your slot before July 12.
