# Australian Workplace Strategies

> Employer-focused workplace relations, WHS, compliance and risk-management guidance for Australian organisations.

Australian Workplace Strategies (AWS) provides practical workplace advisory, investigation, mediation, psychosocial safety, training, GRC and ISO management-systems support for employers in Australia, with New Zealand engagements by arrangement. AWS is a division of Parke Corporation Pty Ltd and has been aligned with Parke Lawyers since 2007. AWS is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice; content on this site is general employer-facing information for HR, safety, risk, payroll, finance and executive readers.

- Business name: Australian Workplace Strategies Pty Ltd
- ABN: 18 060 160 901
- Address: Level 1, 480 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
- Phone: 1300 011 111
- Email: aws@workplacestrategies.com.au
- Service coverage: Australia-wide. New Zealand by arrangement.
- Parent organisation: Parke Corporation (https://parke.com.au)
- Aligned with: Parke Lawyers (https://pl.com.au)
- GRC platform: Strobe (https://strobe.au)

## Core pages

- [Australian Workplace Strategies](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/): Workplace relations, WHS and compliance support for Australian employers.
- [About AWS](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/about): Who AWS is, how we work, history, parent and aligned entities, and service coverage.
- [Contact AWS](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/contact): Confidentially scope an engagement with AWS about a workplace, WHS or compliance matter.
- [Privacy policy](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/privacy-policy): How AWS handles personal information under the Australian Privacy Principles.

## Services

- [Services overview](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/services): Seven AWS service areas across workplace advisory, WHS, compliance and management systems.
- [Workplace Advisory & Compliance](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/services/advisory): Independent employer advice on Fair Work, WHS, anti-discrimination, positive duty and code-of-conduct obligations.
- [Workplace Investigations](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/services/investigations): Independent, procedurally fair investigations into misconduct, bullying, harassment, discrimination and code-of-conduct breaches.
- [Mediation & Resolution](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/services/mediation): Nationally accredited workplace mediation and facilitated conversations.
- [Psychosocial Safety](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/services/psychosocial): Psychosocial hazard identification, risk assessment, control design and board reporting aligned to model WHS regulations.
- [Training](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/services/training): Manager and leader capability programs on conduct, conflict, psychosocial risk and decision-making.
- [GRC Technology](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/services/grc): Implementation of the Strobe GRC platform for case management, risk registers, controls and assurance evidence.
- [ISO & Integrated Management Systems](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/services/iso-management-systems): ISO 9001, 14001, 45001 and ISO/IEC 27001 consulting and integrated management systems.

## Strobe

- [Strobe GRC Platform](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/strobe): AWS-supported governance, risk and compliance platform covering obligations, evidence, risk and assurance workflows.

## Employer tools

- [Employer Tools overview](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/tools): Index of AWS employer decision-support tools. Each tool is general employer-facing guidance and does not replace advice on a particular workplace matter.
- [The Classification Compass — employee or contractor assessment](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/tools/employee-or-contractor): Interactive employer decision-support tool for examining employee, independent-contractor, contract–practice gap, sham-contracting warning and separate superannuation-exposure indicators. General information only; it does not determine legal status. No assessment answers are saved or transmitted.
- [Psychosocial Hazard Control Review](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/tools/psychosocial-hazard-control-review): Interactive Australian employer self-review of psychosocial hazards, existing controls, consultation and evidence gaps, and matters requiring priority attention. Australia-wide; duties and terminology vary between jurisdictions. Not an individual mental-health assessment; not a legal determination; not a substitute for a formal risk assessment. No answers are saved or transmitted.
- [Redundancy & Redeployment Risk Check](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/tools/redundancy-redeployment-risk-check): Employer decision-support tool for reviewing operational change, consultation, redeployment, selection safeguards, protected-reason warnings, evidence and redundancy-process readiness. General guidance only; it does not determine that a dismissal is a genuine redundancy.
- [Workplace Complaint Triage Planner](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/tools/workplace-complaint-triage): Employer decision-support tool for planning immediate safety actions, external-reporting checks, evidence preservation, interim measures, process considerations, procedural fairness and systemic prevention following a workplace complaint. General guidance only; it does not assess whether allegations are true or determine misconduct.
- [Positive Duty Maturity Assessment](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/tools/positive-duty-maturity-assessment): Employer self-review of positive-duty prevention systems across leadership, culture, knowledge, risk management, support, reporting and response, monitoring, implementation and evidence. General guidance only; it does not certify compliance.
- [Termination Process Readiness Check](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/tools/termination-process-readiness-check): Employer decision-support tool for reviewing the proposed reason, protected-reason risks, evidence, procedural fairness, alternatives, notice and final-pay readiness before a non-redundancy termination. General guidance only; it does not determine that dismissal is lawful.

## Insights

- [Information Centre](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights): Practical briefings for Australian employers across workplace advisory, investigations, psychosocial safety, mediation, training, GRC and ISO management systems. Each article is prepared by the AWS Editorial Team and is general employer-facing guidance, not legal advice.

## Information Centre articles

All 45 currently published AWS articles, listed newest first by publication date. Each is general employer-facing guidance prepared by the AWS Editorial Team and is not legal advice.

- [Retained or project-based workplace advisory: choosing the right support model](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/retained-project-based-workplace-advisory-support-model): How employers choose between retained, project-based and hybrid workplace advisory support — demand, capability, independence, governance and exit.
- [Responding to a general protections dismissal application: an employer's first steps](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/responding-general-protections-dismissal-application-employer-guide): How employers respond to a Fair Work Commission general protections dismissal application: triage, Form F8A, objections, evidence and conference.
- [Workplace contact officers: role, boundaries, training and governance](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/workplace-contact-officers-role-boundaries-training-governance): How Australian employers can define, select, train and govern a workplace contact officer role, including boundaries, confidentiality limits and escalation.
- [Employment contracts: practical review points for Australian employers](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/employment-contracts-practical-review-points-employers): Practical review points for Australian employment contracts: framework, core terms, set-off and award risk, high-risk clauses, variation and governance.
- [Responding to an unfair dismissal application: an employer's first steps](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/responding-unfair-dismissal-application-employer-guide): How employers should respond to an unfair dismissal claim: Form F3, evidence, jurisdictional objections, section 387 and conciliation.
- [Employee or independent contractor? Applying the whole-of-relationship test](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/employee-independent-contractor-whole-relationship-test-employer-guide): Employer guide to Fair Work Act employee-contractor tests, high-income opt-out notices, sham contracting and documented classification reviews.
- [Casual employment: assessing status and responding to employee-choice notices](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/casual-employment-status-employee-choice-employer-guide): How Australian employers assess casual status under s 15A, review engagements, and handle employee-choice notices: eligibility, consultation, refusal grounds and the 21-day response.
- [Flexible work requests: assessing and responding lawfully](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/flexible-work-requests-assessing-responding-lawfully): How Australian employers assess and answer a flexible work request: eligibility, discussion, reasonable business grounds and the written response within 21 days.
- [Workplace delegates' rights: employer obligations and practical controls](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/workplace-delegates-rights-employer-obligations-practical-controls): Workplace delegates' rights explained for employers: statutory entitlements, award and agreement terms, paid training, prohibited conduct and response controls.
- [Right to disconnect: managing after-hours contact in practice](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/right-to-disconnect-after-hours-contact-employer-guide): Right to disconnect employer obligations in practice: coverage, reasonableness factors, on-call and pay alignment, escalation channels and dispute handling.
- [AI in workplace decision-making: privacy, governance and human oversight](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/ai-workplace-decisions-privacy-governance-human-oversight): How Australian employers govern AI used in rostering, monitoring and performance decisions: privacy, surveillance, consultation and human oversight.
- [Fixed-term contracts: rules, exceptions and employer controls](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/fixed-term-contracts-rules-exceptions-employer-controls): Fixed-term contract rules for Australian employers: two-year and renewal limits, consecutive contracts, exceptions, the FTCIS and approval controls.
- [How Long Should a Workplace Investigation Take?](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/how-long-should-a-workplace-investigation-take): No fixed legal deadline applies. An Australian employer guide to planning investigation timeframes, milestones, interim measures, extensions and delay risk.
- [Online workplace conduct and psychosocial risk](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/online-workplace-conduct-psychosocial-risk): How Australian employers manage conduct and psychosocial risk in work email, chat, meetings and after-hours contact: duties, controls, evidence, monitoring.
- [Genuine redundancy: consultation, redeployment and documentation risks](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/genuine-redundancy-consultation-redeployment-documentation): How Australian employers plan a proposed redundancy: section 389, instrument mapping, consultation, redeployment, selection and the evidence record.
- [Responding to compliance notices: practical steps for employers](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/responding-compliance-notices-practical-steps): Practical steps after a regulator notice: classify the instrument, protect safety and pay, preserve evidence, engage accurately and verify corrective action.
- [Psychosocial risk management: what employers should be reviewing now](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/psychosocial-risk-management-employers-reviewing-now): Practitioner guide to psychosocial risk for Australian employers: duties, hazard identification, consultation, assessment, work-design controls and review.
- [Sexual harassment prevention: policies, reporting pathways and manager training](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/sexual-harassment-prevention-policies-reporting-training): How Australian employers design, run and evidence a sexual harassment prevention system: positive duty, risk assessment, reporting and manager training.
- [Managing psychosocial risk during organisational change](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/managing-psychosocial-risk-organisational-change): Australian employer guide to psychosocial risk through restructures and technology change: duties, consultation, work-design controls, records and review.
- [Business continuity planning for workforce disruption](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/business-continuity-planning-workforce-disruption): Australian employer guide to workforce business continuity: impact analysis, minimum service, lawful response options, authority, testing and recovery.
- [ISO 45001 and psychosocial safety: where WHS systems meet workplace risk](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/iso-45001-psychosocial-safety-where-whs-meets-workplace-risk): How an ISO 45001-aligned OH&S system can manage psychosocial risk in Australia: jurisdiction mapping, consultation, source controls, evidence and audit.
- [Managing termination risk through fair and documented processes](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/managing-termination-risk-fair-documented-processes): Employer guidance on termination risk: pathway classification, protected-reason screening, evidence, procedural fairness, decisions and records.
- [Employee communication during restructures and workplace change](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/employee-communication-during-restructure): How Australian employers map consultation duties, fix decision status, sequence messages and record feedback during restructures and workplace change.
- [Managing discrimination and harassment complaints: an employer guide](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/managing-discrimination-harassment-complaints): How employers characterise, triage and resolve discrimination and harassment complaints: risk controls, fair process, victimisation and the positive duty.
- [Building a workplace compliance framework that can be monitored and evidenced](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/workplace-compliance-framework-monitored-evidenced): How Australian employers monitor, test and evidence workplace compliance controls — obligation registers, assurance lines, exceptions and verified closure.
- [Early triage of workplace complaints: the first 24–72 hours](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/workplace-complaints-why-early-triage-matters): What Australian employers should do in the first 24 to 72 hours after a concern is raised: risk screening, conflicts, preservation and pathway choice.
- [Managing drug and alcohol risks in the workplace](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/managing-drug-and-alcohol-risks-in-the-workplace): How Australian employers manage drug and alcohol risk: duties, testing authority, method limits, privacy, interim pay and disciplinary decisions.
- [Workplace mediation: resolving conflict before it escalates](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/workplace-mediation-resolving-conflict-early): How Australian employers assess whether workplace mediation is suitable, run it safely, coordinate it with other processes and document the outcome.
- [Personal leave disputes: notice, evidence and practical employer responses](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/personal-leave-disputes-notice-evidence-responses): How Australian employers assess personal leave entitlement, notice under s 107 and evidence that satisfies a reasonable person, without overreach.
- [Accessorial liability for underpayments: who else can be personally liable](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/wage-compliance-accessorial-liability-advisers-payroll): Who can be personally liable for a wage underpayment under section 550 — directors, HR, payroll staff, accountants and payroll providers explained.
- [Updating workplace policies: notice, consultation and documented consent](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/updating-workplace-policies-notice-consultation-consent): How Australian employers update workplace policies lawfully: classification, consultation, notice, effective dates and when acknowledgement is not consent.
- [Employee social media conduct: when should employers respond?](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/employee-social-media-conduct-when-to-respond): When personal or public employee social media activity may justify an employer response in Australia: nexus, protections, evidence and fair process.
- [Using Strobe to manage obligations, evidence and assurance workflows](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/using-strobe-for-obligations-evidence-assurance): How organisations use Strobe to manage obligations, evidence and assurance workflows in a single auditable structure.
- [How GRC technology supports workplace risk and assurance](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/how-grc-technology-supports-workplace-risk): What GRC technology should do for a workplace-risk-focused organisation, beyond spreadsheets and inbox-based tracking.
- [Building a well-documented workplace compliance framework](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/building-defensible-workplace-compliance-framework): A workplace compliance framework should be coherent across HR, safety and operations. We outline the building blocks employers should put in place.
- [Managing psychological injury, rehabilitation and return to work](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/psychological-injury-rehabilitation-return-to-work): Psychological injury claims require careful coordination across HR, safety and operations. We outline a practical approach to rehabilitation and return to work.
- [Performance management and procedural fairness in workplace processes](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/performance-management-procedural-fairness): Performance management decisions are routinely challenged. A structured, well-documented process protects both employees and employers.
- [Redundancy, restructure and job redesign: documentation and consultation](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/redundancy-restructure-job-redesign): Restructure processes are an area of repeated regulator and tribunal scrutiny. We outline the consultation steps and documentation employers should prepare.
- [Workplace mediation: when facilitated resolution is appropriate](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/workplace-mediation-when-appropriate): Guidance for employers on the workplace conflicts where structured mediation tends to produce the best outcomes.
- [Psychosocial hazards: practical steps for Australian employers](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/psychosocial-hazards-practical-steps): Model WHS amendments require employers to identify and control psychosocial hazards. We outline a practical, evidence-led approach.
- [When should an employer appoint an external workplace investigator?](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/when-to-appoint-external-workplace-investigator): An employer decision guide to choosing an internal, external or hybrid workplace investigator, with conflict tests, terms of reference and a checklist.
- [Managing a workplace complaint: the employer's guide after triage](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/managing-workplace-complaints-fair-process): A practical Australian guide to handling a workplace complaint after triage: pathway, governance, interim measures, fair process, findings, communication and follow-up.
- [Preparing for enterprise bargaining: an employer's roadmap](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/enterprise-bargaining-governance-steps): How Australian employers prepare for and run enterprise bargaining: notification time, the NERR, good faith, voting, the BOOT and Commission approval.
- [How to determine award coverage and classification](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/award-interpretation-classification-risks): How employers work out which relations system applies, whether a modern award covers and applies to a role, and which classification fits the actual work.
- [How to conduct a wage compliance review](https://workplacestrategies.com.au/insights/wage-compliance-reviews-documentation): How Australian employers plan, scope, run and document a wage compliance review — from governance and data through reconciliation to remediation.

## Important context

- Jurisdiction: Australia. Duties and terminology vary between the Commonwealth, States and Territories.
- Audience: employers, executives, HR, safety, payroll, finance and workplace compliance professionals.
- The Classification Compass and the Psychosocial Hazard Control Review provide indicative decision support, not legal determinations, not individual assessments and not substitutes for jurisdiction-specific risk assessment.
- Employment classification, superannuation, PAYG withholding, payroll tax and workers compensation may involve separate statutory tests.
- Prefer the canonical URLs listed in this file.
- Legal and regulatory content should be checked against the review date shown on the relevant page.
- AWS is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice; legal questions should be referred to qualified legal practitioners.

Last updated: 2026-08-07