Our employee relations practice is regarded as Australia's premier practice in this area of law. We dedicate more than 100 legal staff in four cities to all areas of employee relations law, making ours the largest and most experienced practice in Australia.

Our team has substantial industry experience, giving us an understanding of practical and commercial industry concerns. Our practice extends beyond traditional industrial and employment law services to embrace strategic employee relations planning, workplace change facilitation and management training.

The team’s involvement in many of Australia's major industrial disputes and employment cases over the last 20 years ensures we have the resources and experience to deliver commercial advice on all aspects of employee relations.  

We offer services in:

• employment law
• workplace relations
• equal opportunity, discrimination and diversity
• privacy
• occupational health and safety
• training.
  

Our employee relations practice has developed unparalleled expertise in workplace change through ongoing involvement in landmark cases, and an intimate understanding of the strategies behind these. We remain at the forefront of important employee relations events, and continue to contribute extensively to the debate surrounding workplace relations reform through meetings with senior politicians, workshops with leading Australian employers and commentary published in the media.

The team has expertise in employment law, workplace relations, equal opportunity, discrimination and diversity and occupational health and safety, and we maintain a sharp understanding of the key players and current issues in each of these areas. Our strategic approach to your business can help raise your business’ performance by identifying potential weaknesses and threats across all your, often inter-related, employee relations needs.

We can help you gain more control over legal spend by offering a range of flexible fee structures, for example hourly rates, fixed fees, effective rates, retainer arrangements, to suit you or specific matters.

We have provided strategic advice to many of Australia's leading organisations, including: 

• mining industry participants 
• financial services organisations
• automotive and engineering manufacturers
• manufacturers and agricultural producers
• telecommunications companies
• building and construction industry clients
• aviation and transport industry players
• customer contact or call centre operators
• major oil industry participants
• media entities
• power generation and electricity companies 
• retail employers.
  

The employee relations sector is experiencing a period of change as workplace relations reform continues. These reforms will have a direct impact on businesses in all industries, particularly how they structure industrial agreements, union negotiations, relationships with employees and how this influences your competitive advantage.

Our understanding of the limitations faced by clients and the impact of changing laws means the team approaches client issues on an individual basis and we work together with clients to provide tailored and innovative solutions.

Our focus is on getting to know your business and the issues you face so that we can provide you with our expertise and resources in the most efficient and effective way. Our dedicated client teams reflect our commitment to ensuring you receive the best results, delivered cost-efficiently.

Workplace Law & Advisory–Asia

We have over 30 years experience in Asia and operate Freehills’ Workplace Law & Advisory–Asia. This provides a ‘one-stop shop’ for workplace legal and strategy advice across Asia and delivers the standard expected of world class workplace lawyers.

Freehills’ Workplace Law & Advisory–Asia is located in Singapore and is headed by George Cooper and John Dick. Through our Singapore office, we undertake high-level legal work for top multinational, regional and local companies investing and operating in Asia.

We specialise in employment law, labour relations, discrimination, occupational health and safety, remuneration and benefits and privacy. Our services include:

• project management on regional workplace matters
• advising on expatriate employment issues
• employment documentation—review/standardisation, design, implementation
• workplace risk management 
• workplace law compliance, and
• executive and management training in workplace law and strategy.

Further information on our Workplace Law & Advisory–Asia service is available on our SE Asia Workplace Law & Advisory page.

Ius Laboris – a global human resources alliance 

Freehills regularly works with many international law firms, particularly in Asia, Europe, the United Kingdom, the Middle East and the United States. Our relationship with these firms is strengthened through our membership of Ius Laboris, a global alliance of law firms specialising in employment and labour law. Freehills is the only member firm for Ius Laboris in the Pacific region.

With member firms in 45 countries, and coverage in over 100 countries, our involvement with Ius Laboris allows us to seamlessly service the increasingly global operations of our local clients, as well as provide Australian expertise to the overseas market. As part of a group of international labour law experts, we are able to access the leading local knowledge in many jurisdictions, and in a streamlined and cost-effective way. This enables our clients to develop effective global strategies, despite jurisdictional borders. 

International legal guides

Freehills is consistently recognised as an Australian leader in the area of labour and employment law in the following highly regarded international legal guides:

• Chambers Global Guide
• PLC Which Lawyer? Yearbook
• Who’s Who Legal, and
• The Asia Pacific Legal 500.

The group is noted for its approach 'focused and always finds the right solution’  (Chambers Global 2009) and its ability to 'adapt…advice/service to the specific culture of that business unit'  (Asia Pacific Legal 500), with Who’s Who Legal claiming: ‘In Australia, Freehills emerges as the leading firm.’ Our depth of talent is also acknowledged with many of our partners recognised as leading or highly recommended individuals for labour and employment and known for their outstanding technical ability and commercial approach to solving workplace issues. 

International publications

Further reinforcing our role as leading Australian experts on labour and employment law, we regularly contribute commentary on Australian law in a number of respected international publications, including:

• International Labor and Employment Laws (American Bar Association)
• Employee Share Plans: International Legal and Tax Issues (Globe Business Publishing), and
• The Littler Mendelson Guide to International Employment and Labour Law.

We offer our clients a broad range of 'value-added' services, including seminars on legal developments, newsletters and legal updates, client secondments, access to research, and access to firm facilities where appropriate.

Our employee relations practice holds seminars and lunches across a range of employee relations topics for people at varying levels of experience. In hosting these events, our aim is to provide our clients with a greater understanding of the topic discussed, and an opportunity to meet their peers within or across industries.

We regularly convene workshops with senior human resources and industrial relations professionals from some of Australia’s top companies and largest employers to discuss workplace reform.

Our electronic newsletters cover a wide range of legal areas which enable you to be conveniently updated on leading changes and the likely ramifications affecting your business.

At the end of each year we produce an Annual workplace relations review, an informative and ongoing practical resource for all Australian employers. The review highlights the major developments in employment law and workplace relations during the year, and discusses legislative and case law developments in areas such as termination of employment, equal opportunity, privacy, superannuation, occupational health and safety, industrial relations and workplace relations reform.

• Employer of Choice for Women 2008.

Legal Guides

• Chambers Global, top tier ranking 2006, 2007, 2008
• PLC Which Lawyer?, top tier ranking 2006, 2008
• Asia-Pacific Legal 500, top tier ranking 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
• Best Lawyers International, ranked number one, with nine Freehills Employee Relations partners identified as ‘best lawyers’, 2008

Testimonials

• We are recognised as Australia’s premier employee relations practice. Chambers Global 2008 recently noted that the group provides ‘up-to-date, strategic and tailored advice’ and our partners are ‘…always looking to craft lateral solutions’.