Employment and Industrial Relations Training Programs – 2026

There are a myriad of laws that relate to engaging, managing and terminating employees. This program is designed to equip you with the fundamentals of employment law, from recruitment to termination.

Who should attend: This program is ideal for human resources practitioners, in-house counsel, line managers and people leaders who play a key role in advising on the law, policies, and processes that apply to recruitment, employment contracts, managing leave, and termination of employment. It is also particularly relevant for any person who has responsibility for supervising or managing employees and may face some of the issues that can impact on the employment relationship.

What you’ll learn: This online, interactive program will assist you to:

• know which laws guide interactions between employers and employees, from hiring to firing, and how such laws interact with one another
• understand the forms and types of engaging workers in the business, including the differences between employment (and forms of employment) and independent contractor relationships
• understand the key legal concepts relating to workplace relations, equal opportunity and discrimination, bullying, performance management, misconduct and managing ill and injured employees
• identify key risks and opportunities in relation to termination of employment, and how to effectively manage those risks (including common legal claims) as best as possible
• apply the law to advise stakeholders and inform business strategy on human resources issues
• understand the impact of recent legislative reform and case law on your business and how to operationalise those changes   

For detailed program information click below.

Online

All employers need to be aware of the complex collective bargaining options under the Fair Work Act and how to navigate the stringent procedures that exist. This program is designed to provide an introduction to Australia's industrial relations and enterprise bargaining framework to ensure you use the regime to your best advantage.

Who should attend: This program is ideal for human resources / employee relations practitioners, in-house counsel, line managers and people leaders with basic to moderate enterprise bargaining experience to develop their knowledge and skills ahead of upcoming bargaining rounds. It is also relevant for any person who will be a bargaining representative on behalf of an employer, or who may touch on enterprise bargaining generally, to obtain a fundamentals understanding of how enterprise bargaining works and key issues to keep front of mind.

What you’ll learn: This online, interactive program will assist you to understand:

• the framework of Australia’s industrial relations laws, and how enterprise bargaining fits in with employment regulation
• the different forms of enterprise agreements that exist, what they mean and when they may be most relevant (which has been an area of key legislative reform in recent years)
• how bargaining commences, including the key procedural requirements that must be met
• strategic considerations regarding bargaining and employee engagement, including how to prepare for bargaining, what considerations may be in play and what you should come armed with at the bargaining table
• good faith bargaining laws and what they mean for bargaining representatives
• the role and powers of the Fair Work Commission, unions and the courts during bargaining
• the necessary procedural steps that are required to be undertaken in order to vote on a proposed enterprise agreement and how the Fair Work Commission approaches consideration of approval of such agreements (including the ‘better off overall test’ that is applied)
• protected and unprotected industrial action, what these are, what consequences flow from taking such action and potential legal responses that may be taken in response
• union right of entry and workplace delegates rights

For detailed program information click below.

Online

Conducting a workplace investigation can be a daunting process – allegations can be difficult to identify, interviewing witnesses and analysing evidence can be time consuming and confusing, and making findings of fact can be complicated. After handling all the practical and technical difficulties, managing expectations and maintaining workplace harmony while carrying out your investigation may feel all but impossible. This program is designed to equip you with the skills to conduct a properly scoped workplace investigation that effectively manages legal risk and protects your business reputation.

Who should attend: This program is ideal for human resources practitioners, in-house counsel, line managers and people leaders who may have responsibility for or involvement in workplace investigations. This program is particularly focused on conducting employee misconduct investigations.

What you’ll learn: This online, interactive program will assist you to understand:

• the reasons why it is important to conduct effective workplace investigations, when you should conduct a workplace investigation and what that investigation should look like
• when to outsource an investigation and when to seek a report under legal professional privilege
• how to plan an effective investigation which minimises legal risk
• how to draft allegations, collect evidence and conduct interviews with complainants, respondents and witnesses
• analyse some of the key issues that arise during the course of an investigation, such as managing complex responses from individuals, testing information that has been provided and drafting witness statements
• how to make findings of fact, even in the face of conflicting witness evidence
• how to draft an investigation report, including the key things that an investigation report should contain
• how to conclude an investigation, such as taking disciplinary action for substantiated findings and communicating outcomes to relevant stakeholders

For detailed program information click below.

Online

I thought the session was excellent. [It was] very engaging and fantastic presenters. Excellent online delivery.

HR Advisor

Great refresher and update on case law/ changes in the bargaining landscape. Pitched at an appropriate level and presenters were engaging and insightful. [It was] very professional and well run. Online worked well generally and it was great to be able to participate from interstate.

Employee Relations Specialist

I really enjoyed the format - it’s hard online but technology worked well. Fantastic refresher and great reminder on key steps and big rocks for employers to keep in mind for process and key areas to watch out for.

Head of HR

The information is very clear, digestible and structured. The ability of the presenters to respond fully to participant questions is fantastic.

General Manager Human Resources

Very thorough and covered a lot of different topics. Presenters were engaging and knowledgeable

Corporate Counsel

Brilliant and very informative and easy to follow.

Disability Discrimination Solicitor