This article was co-authored with Anna Ziegler and Sophia Dikolli. 


What’s changing and how does it impact employers?

From 1 July 2026, the Payday Super reforms will take effect, requiring employers to pay superannuation guarantee (SG) contributions on every ‘payday’ – not at the end of each quarterly cycle.

For employers, this is a fundamental

What employers need to know:

Embedding a trauma‑informed approach to workplace investigations requires visible leadership, ongoing training, robust policies, and proactive support for investigator wellbeing. Sustainable change comes from integrating these principles into organisational culture, ensuring investigations are fair, resilient, and protective of all participants.

The commitment to a trauma-informed approach to workplace investigations marks

This article was co-authored with Arabella Cull.

Case update: Anthony Michael Gibson v Maritime New Zealand [2026] NZHC 813

Introduction

On 31 March 2026, the High Court of New Zealand (HCNZ) dismissed the appeal of Anthony Gibson, the former CEO of Ports of Auckland Limited (POAL), and upheld his conviction and sentence by the District

What employers need to know:

Trauma‑informed interviewing shifts workplace investigations from what may be perceived by employees as adversarial questioning to a structured, supportive dialogue that prioritises psychological safety, enhances memory recall, and produces more accurate and reliable accounts. By applying the techniques outlined in this article to interviews as part of workplace investigations, employers

What employers need to know:

Procedural fairness and trauma‑informed practice are complementary approaches to investigations. By applying the three rules of procedural fairness, investigators create conditions for investigations that are both legally robust and psychologically safe. Employers should ensure investigators understand how trauma‑informed principles reinforce procedural fairness to deliver fair, transparent, and accurate outcomes.

In

What employers need to know:

By embedding the six core principles of trauma-informed practice to workplace investigations, employers can create respectful, effective processes that lead to more reliable outcomes and foster a culture of trust. We recommend that employers review and align their policies with psychological safety obligations, and ensure that their investigators are trained

The NSW Parliament has narrowly passed the Work Health and Safety Amendment (Digital Work Systems) Bill 2025, introducing the most significant update to the State’s WHS framework in more than a decade. The reforms, an Australian first, respond to the rapid expansion of AI‑enabled management tools, algorithmic scheduling, digital surveillance technologies and automated decision‑making systems

WARNING: Content that may be distressing

The recent sentencing of a Commonwealth government department (Department) for failing to manage psychosocial risks arising during performance management processes is a defining moment for Australian workplaces. It reinforces a point that regulators have been signalling for some time: management of psychosocial hazards are a core part of an

The author acknowledges the contribution of Scott Meagher.

Introduction and background

Safe Work Australia (SWA) has published amendments to the model Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act and Regulations which expand incident notification requirements, update licensing arrangements for crane operations and align regulations with current practices. This article focusses on the amendments concerning incident notification.