Introduction Employers generally make bad dismissal decisions when frustrated. So much is true when managing ill or injured employees. With around 30,000 WorkCover claims made in Victoria each year, keeping a cool head is no doubt a virtue. But there are other less obvious risks. They arise from inaction. In more colloquial terms, it’s [...]

  On 27 May 2026, WestmoreJacobs presented an in-person seminar “Dismissing Ill or Injured Employees”. Here we discussed navigating WorkCover, unfair dismissal and general protections risks when handling potential dismissals. Here are some take-home points from the presentation:            

  WestmoreJacobs presented a webinar on "General Protections: An Emerging Risk" on 6 May 2026. We unpacked what really is driving the rapid growth of General Protections claims and what employers need to watch out for when defending them. It was a great opportunity to talk about the law governing General Protections claims and the [...]

  Introduction Many businesses are only now starting to feel the impact of employment law developments in 2025. With this in mind, this article summarises our recent webinar catching up on developments last year. Reasonable redeployment for redundancies: Helensburgh Coal Pty Ltd v Bartley This matter involves the vexed issue of whether employers should insource [...]

  We had a great time presenting our webinar “Catching up on 2025: A Year in Review” recently. It was a great opportunity to discuss the significant changes to employment law in 2025. The session covered key developments including redundancies and redeployment, underpayments, the work from home debate, superannuation reforms and the continued surge in [...]

  WestmoreJacobs presented a webinar on “2025: A Year in Review” on 3 December 2025. It was a great opportunity to explore some of this year’s key developments in employment law.

  Due to its popularity, WestmoreJacobs presented a webinar on "Redeployment and other Cautionary Tales in Employment Law" on 14 October 2025.  We explored the recent High Court decision of Helensburgh Coal Pty Ltd v Bartley. Here the Court effectively upheld the Fair Work Commission’s decision that the employer should have considered insourcing work performed [...]

  Introduction "Since our employees are on annual salaries well above award rates, we don’t need to worry about underpayments.” This commonly held view amongst employers and HR professionals is now in tatters following the landmark Federal Court decision in Fair Work Ombudsman v Woolworths Group Limited & Ors [2025] FCA 1092 (Decision). [...]

  On 17 September 2025, WestmoreJacobs presented an in-person seminar “Redeployment and other Cautionary Tales in Employment Law”. We talked about the recent High Court decision of Helensburgh Coal Pty Ltd v Bartley and other cautionary tales regarding contractor/employee distinction, reasonable notice and workplace policies. It was a great chance to discuss the implications of [...]

Introduction The recent High Court decision in Helensburgh Coal v Bartley [2025] HCA 29 (Helensburgh) adds to the challenges employers must navigate to avoid successful unfair dismissal claims arising from redundancies. After a lengthy history of litigation and unsuccessful appeals spanning around 5 years, the High Court has effectively confirmed that employers should consider anticipated [...]