Effective and Compliant Employment Contracts

Understanding Employment Contracts

Employment contracts are a source of legal obligation for every employer, and can require very specific terms for different types of employees and for individuals.  It is therefore imperative that employers understand the nature of their employment contracts, how their contracts interact with the complex employment regulatory framework, potential consequences for contract breaches, and how to develop contracts that are suitable to the business’ needs.

Presented by AFEI Legal employment lawyers, this one day workshop will provide you with an understanding of:

• The nature of employment contracts
• How employment contracts interact with the Fair Work Act or any other employment legislation, the National Employment Standards (NES) and modern awards
• Common pitfalls when drafting employment contracts
• How to develop, vary and terminate different types of employment contracts
• Practical steps informed by current employment case law

This workshop will use case studies to highlight typical mistakes and omissions and show participants how to manage legal risks. We will also include practical tips on how to develop, modify and review a contract, allowing participants to develop the skills to consider appropriate terms and conditions to be included in employment contracts.

Who should attend

HR professionals, senior managers and anyone who negotiates employment contracts on behalf of a business, quality/compliance officers; or persons who make decisions about standard employment contract terms and conditions.

Discover

• Important considerations for developing suitable employment contracts for individual circumstances
• What information may need to be in employments contracts, including essential terms and desirable terms
• The key components of the NES and modern awards and how they interact with employment contracts
• Differences between on-going, fixed term, casual contracts and executive contracts
• Recommended contract terms to protect business interests
• The consequences of poorly drafted employment contracts
• Recent court decisions informing practical tips for developing contracts
• Strategies to improve employment contract compliance

Learning Outcomes

On completion, participants should have the ability to:

• Determine what type of contract is appropriate for a particular engagement
• Understand the interaction between contracts, modern awards (and other instruments) and legislation
• Recognise the implications of current common law contracts
• Critically reflect on the appropriateness of current/proposed contract terms
• Identify terms that should be included in certain types of employment contracts to protect business interests
• Understand the relevance of contracts to termination of employment
• Recognise various customisations that are appropriate when working with a template contract
• Develop strategies for dealing with outdated contracts

Award

A Certificate of Attendance will be issued at the completion of the workshop.

Duration & Venue

Duration: One Day:   9.30am – 4.00pm
Venue:   AFEI, Level 2, 97-99 Bathurst Street, Sydney NSW 2000

Fee (GST Free)

Member Fee:          AUD $570
Non Member Fee: AUD $670

Other Details

Fee includes morning and afternoon tea, lunch and workshop materials.