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Rachel Drew

rdrew_web

Partner

BA/LLB (Hons), Queensland University of Technology 1998
Admitted to Supreme Court of Queensland January 2001
Admitted to High Court of Australia February 2002
Registered Migration Agent No. 1175344

Ph: 61 7 3292 9717
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

 

Areas of practice

Employment and human resources advice
Industrial relations
Defamation
Equal employment opportunity and discrimination
Workers' compensation insurance, worker health and rehabilitation
Workplace health and safety compliance
Migration
Transmission of businesses
Restraint of Trade, Intellectual Property and Confidentiality
Superannuation entitlements

Experience

Rachel specialises in providing advice to employers and human resources professionals in relation to employee management and entitlements. 

Rachel's expertise covers industrial relations, employee entitlements, award coverage, with particular specialty in the areas of workers' health legislation, discrimination, managing discipline and dismissal, assessing workplace health and safety compliance, and transmission of business issues.  

Workers' compensation

  • Managing over 100 WorkCover claims each year, representing both workers and employers in the Industrial Magistrates Court and the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission at the review and appeal level
  • Advising employers on WorkCover claims including obtaining factual evidence, advising on the correct level of compensation payable and rehabilitation obligations
  • Acting for the Queensland Teachers Union and the Queensland Independent Education Union, representing many members in workers' compensation claims and before the Medical Assessment Tribunals of WorkCover Queensland.

Workplace health and safety

  • Reviewing the WHS policies for the Queensland Independent Education Union including auditing compliance against relevant legislation, and drafting internal policies and procedures
  • Representing international timber company in responding to an incident involving a forklift accident, which resulted in a grievous bodily harm injury.  Successfully avoiding any prosecution.

Workplace relations

  • Providing advice to businesses regarding transition to the Fair Work Act 2009 including advising on new employee entitlements and changed employer obligations
  • contracts for employment
  • Prosecuting and defending unlawful dismissal claims in the Australian Industrial Relations Commission and Queensland Industrial Relations Commission
  • Successfully defending a childcare operator in the Federal Magistrates Court against a claim for unlawful dismissal by a former employee
  • Drafting, revising and lodging certified agreements and enterprise bargaining agreements.

Equal employment and opportunity

  • Representing clients in the Anti-Discrimination Commission and Tribunal and the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission.

Professional memberships and appointments

Certified Professional, Australian Human Resources Institute
Queensland Law Society

Publications and presentations:

  • Societal Changes Impacting on Workplace Relationships, presented for Australian Legal Business Workplace Relations and Safety Law Masterclass, 28 November 2011 
  • Defamation, presented for Strata Community Australia, Associated Acts Seminar, 19 July 2011
  • Managing Long Term Absenteeism presented at the Annual Employment Law Intensive, Tonkin Corporation, Brisbane, 31 March 2011
  • Changes to Workers' Compensation and workplace Health and Safety Harmonisation, Annual Employment Law Conference: Queensland Law Society,  17 August 2010
  • Employment Agreements for the Next Decade: Making Them Work for Your Business, 12th Annual Employment Law Intensive, Tonkin Corporation, 31 May 2010
  • Modern Trends in HR Law, Australian Law Practice Managers' Association HR Conference, 19 May 2010   
  • Fair Work Act 2009 - New Standards: Queensland Law Society Newsflash: Employment Law Update Series 30 June 2009 
  • Legal Issues in Workforce Downsizing: Applying the Fair Work Principles: Australian Legal Business Conference, 19 May 2009
  • Workplace Fraud, Issues for Employers in a 21st Century Workplace: LegalWise Seminar, 27 March 2009.
  • Key IR Changes and the Impact for HR Professionals: paper presented at 9th Annual Employment Law Intensive, Tonkin Corporation, Brisbane, 20 November 2008
  • New Employment Law for HR and Operational Managers: Managing Your Workplace for Compliance with the New IR Reforms,paper presented at IES Conference, Brisbane, 13 November 2008 
  • Protecting the Business Brand, article published in Recruitment Extra magazine, September 2008
  • Current issues in education law: Child Protection, paper presented at Diocesan Student Protection Conference Rockhampton, 17 June 2008
  • Administrating Education Law, paper presented at Queensland Teachers' Union Administrator's Conference, Brisbane, 8 August 2008
  • Age Discrimination in Education & Teachers' Rights in relation to violent students", Independent Education Journal, Winter 2008