Everything HR leaders need to know before the 19 August event
With Australia's employment law obligations shifting significantly in 2026, the Employment Law Masterclass Australia is returning on 19 August as a one-day virtual event to help HR leaders get across what's changed.
The masterclass will be chaired by Katie Kossian, special counsel at Maddocks, who will open proceedings and guide attendees through the day.
Sessions will cover wage compliance and payroll auditing, with MinterEllison partner Kate Pennicott unpacking where underpayments most commonly occur and how to approach remediation before regulators come knocking. Dentons partners Helene Lee and Angela Cartwright will address flexible work rights and when refusals may now be unlawful under expanded entitlements.
McCabes principal Melini Pillay will cover Respect@Work positive duty obligations and the use of non-disclosure agreements, while Alana Rafter of Australian Business Lawyers & Advisors will update attendees on psychosocial safety enforcement.
Addisons partner Brigid Clark will also walk participants through managing ill and injured workers from first disclosure through to potential termination for incapacity.
The afternoon covers workplace investigations with Lander & Rogers partner Adam Battagello, including how to defend against the rise of AI-assisted self-represented litigants.
It will also tackle redundancy and restructures with Energy Queensland's Rhian O'Sullivan, as well as the 2026 industrial relations landscape with Ashurst partner Peter McNulty.
Kingston Reid partner James Parkinson will also be present to examine why AI-fuelled self-represented claims are taking longer and costing employers more.
The day closes with an Ask the Experts Q&A panel featuring McNulty, Pillay, and Clayton Utz partner Cynthia Elachi.
Attendees can claim up to 5.25 CPD units and will receive a post-session resource pack. The event is entirely online, with individual and team passes available.
The Employment Law Masterclass Australia takes place on 19 August. Register here.
