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Workplace relations and safety

The specialist employment lawyers and workplace relations and safety experts at Cooper Grace Ward have provided strategic advice to clients for 40 years combined. They specialise in all aspects of employment and safety law, including industrial relations, anti-discrimination, and workplace health and safety law.

With experience across a broad range of industries, our Brisbane lawyers help organisations of all types and sizes achieve their desired commercial outcomes.

The industries our lawyers advise include construction, energy and resources, transport, labour hire/recruitment, manufacturing, retail, security, education and training, motor vehicle dealerships, community care and health.

The employment lawyers in your corner

Our workplace relations and safety team advises employers about various matters, including restructures, enforcing restraints of trade, managing long term ill and injured employees, employee misconduct, poor performance and effecting termination of employment.

The team also provides assistance to clients managing industrial issues such as enterprise bargaining, right of entry and industrial action.

Cooper Grace Ward successfully represents a diverse range of clients in courts, commissions and tribunals.

Types of matters include workplace health and safety prosecutions, unfair dismissal proceedings, discrimination, sexual harassment and adverse action.

The team are experienced in conducting complex workplace investigations in response to safety related incidents or allegations of misconduct, as well as providing advice to clients about safety compliance matters.

Our legal services for employers include:

  • advice on all aspects of employment contracts, including restraint of trade, remuneration, bonuses, confidentiality and intellectual property
  • enterprise agreement negotiations
  • strategic business restructuring advice (including redundancy)
  • strategic issues relating to outsourcing and transfer of business
  • underpayment of wages and Fair Work Ombudsman prosecutions
  • strategic industrial relations advice on a range of workplace matters, including unions in the workplace, good faith bargaining and right of entry
  • conducting and implementing work health and safety system reviews and audits and providing advice on workplace health and safety compliance
  • accident and incident investigations
  • defence of workplace health and safety prosecutions
  • undertaking a variety of workplace investigations concerning harassment, bullying and other employee misconduct
  • managing ill and injured employees.

For legal advice on workplace relations and safety, contact one of our Brisbane employment lawyers directly or contact Cooper Grace Ward on (07) 3231 2444.

Training programs from leading employment lawyers

Leadership coaching and employee wellbeing solutions

Unlock the full potential of your executive team with our bespoke leadership development programs, designed to empower your leaders to sustain high performance and achieve greater organisational success. Led by partner Belinda Winter, an expert in workplace relations and safety law, our programs benefit from her unique credentials as one of the few Australian lawyers accredited as a Mental Health First Aid trainer and a provider of Global Leadership Wellbeing Solutions (GLWS®). Belinda's science-driven approach aims to enhance wellbeing at individual, team and organisational levels, driving superior performance.

Workplace relations and safety training

Cooper Grace Ward’s workplace relations and safety team provides practical, customisable training services for employers, in-house lawyers, managers, and HR professionals. Our training programs cover a range of complex workplace issues and legal risks and responsibilities, such as employment basics for SMEs, performance management, workplace investigations, equal employment opportunity, managing ill and injured employees, and occupational health and safety.

Key contacts

Annie Smeaton
Partner
Belinda Winter
Partner
Gemma Sharp
Special Counsel
Ashleigh Fanning
Associate
Megan Pool
Associate

Publications

Podcast: Coffee with CGW - Get to know Gemma Sharp

Join us for a coffee chat with Gemma Sharp, special counsel in our workplace relations and safety team, and private client partner, Scott Hay-Bartlem. Together, they delve into Gemma's background, explore her life outside CGW and discuss what gets her excited about her work in this candid conversation.

Significant changes coming to Queensland's anti-discrimination laws

From 1 July 2025, the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (Qld) will include six new protected attributes and a positive duty to eliminate unlawful conduct.

Gender identity discrimination no laughing matter for social media platform ‘Giggle for Girls’

The Federal Court recently slapped Giggle for Girls Pty Ltd and its CEO with a $10,000 compensation order after they unlawfully discriminated against a platform user on the basis of her transgender identity.