Managing Family and Domestic Violence in the Workplace Workshop

Family and domestic violence (FDV) is a critical national health and welfare issue. It is also an often underappreciated workplace issue, with the Australian Human Rights Commission estimating that violence from an intimate partner affects one in six Australian female workers. Further, one in five women say the violence continues at work.

In recognition of the prevalence of FDV in our community, in August 2018, modern awards were updated to provide for 5 days of unpaid FDV Leave per annum, which enables employees to deal with the impact of FDV. This entitlement was then extended to all employees as a National Employment Standard from December 2018. In parallel, enterprise agreements for many years have been providing an entitlement to FDV, and increasingly this entitlement is paid.

Now, more than ever, it is imperative that your Managers, Directors and HR team understand the challenges that an employee’s exposure to FDV can present for them as an individual, as well as to the broader workforce, and to appreciate how to support employees experiencing FDV while also managing legal risk.

This workshop will cover:

• What is family and domestic violence?
• What are the minimum legal entitlements of employees experiencing family and domestic violence?
• What are the work health and safety considerations associated with family and domestic violence
• How do privacy and confidentiality considerations apply to family and domestic violence
• What is considered best practice workplace policy and procedure regarding family and domestic violence
• What can individuals and workplaces do to support a team member who may be impacted by family and domestic violence
• What does practical workplace support look like in respect to family and domestic violence
• What considerations should be made regarding discrimination and other risks which may apply to employees experiencing family and domestic violence
• Review of case studies exploring practical strategies and processes to best manage specific scenarios relating to family and domestic violence

Learning outcomes:

The Managers, Directors and HR team in your organisation need to understand how to foster employee wellbeing, while at the same time managing legal and other risks in the workplace.

After this workshop participants should be able to:

• Understand what constitutes family and domestic violence
• Understand the relevant legislation and the legal obligations in respect of employees experiencing family and domestic violence
• Manage and respond to employee disclosures in this sensitive space while managing legal risk
• Maintain confidentiality in the collecting and storing of employee information and managing who should have access to this information
• Identify employees who may be experiencing the impacts of family and domestic violence and open an appropriate and supportive conversation
• Support individuals through the experience of family and domestic violence, including developing safety plans
• Implement proactive measures in your workplace to manage family and domestic violence matters

This workshop will be delivered by Georgie Chapman, Partner at HR Legal and Brianna Cattanach, Principal Consultant at Gallagher Workplace Risk and provides a unique learning experience for senior executives, managers and HR professionals.

We use handouts, case studies, provide tangible tools and allow time for questions and problem solving to ensure participants gain practical knowledge.

Event Details:

Our seminars, webinars and workshops are for the benefit of those working in organisations who are seeking learning and development opportunities in employment law and workplace safety. As per this, we do not allow competitors to attend our seminars. HR Legal reserves the right to cancel the registration of those who may be a competitor to our organisation. Please note that if we note that your organisation offers similar services to ours we will cancel your registration. 

Book this Event