About

Today’s economic environment is putting pressure on every organisation; your challenge is to deliver strategies and practices that will lift performance, connect strongly with employees and that will ensure your organisation is in a good position in the eventual upturn.

Things will change and it is necessary to have a view of the future not only to anticipate change but in order to know what to do in the present. With this in mind, we are developing a programme for next year that will deliver even meatier topics. With new learning, new cases, more debate, more practitioner case studies and less basic theory, next year is set to be one of the best line-ups yet.

Some of the topics include:
• Strategic IR in the Challenged Economy
• Employment reward practices and the good faith environment
• Renegotiation, variations to terms and condition of employment, additional duties, salary freezes
• Restructuring to take advantage of the pool of talent now available
• How hard is it to dismiss these days? Are employers being afforded greater leniency?
• Remedies - principles and practice
• Holidays Act review - the way forward & what you need to know
• Complex collective bargaining - strategies and skills
• Managing employee and management fraud
• Managing strikes, minimising losses

Top 4 Reasons to Attend

1. ONE Event
As a busy professional you know just how valuable your time is, this one event will put you in front of the leading legal experts and practitioners from around the country who will discuss the key legislative and institutional changes that you need to be aware of for the year ahead.

2. Roll up Your Sleeves in all NEW Breakout streams
You'll have the opportunity to break out and attend the sessions that are of most interest to your role. Digest, dissect and discuss the issues with peers in this engaging and interactive format.

3. Gather Actionable Insights and Sharpen Your HR/ER Skills
Two knowledge-packed days with the emphasis on take-home solutions and actionable strategies that you can put to use immediately. Return to the office with a renewed sense of confidence in your HR/ER abilities.

4. Expand Your Network of Peers
Take advantage of the cross-industry nature of the event and gain fresh perspectives from industries outside your own. Tap into their collective wisdom, share valuable insights and discuss innovative strategies.

Set this time aside in your calendar now.

Request for a priority copy of the brochure – ensure you are kept informed and receive your copy of the conference brochure in plenty of time to register at the early bird discount price.

Workshops

Pre Conference Workshops – 1st March 2010

9:00am – 12.30pm
Workshop One:
Investigating and managing employee and management fraud
The difficult economic times are directly impacting many employees, with many experiencing increased pressure from a personal standpoint to make ends meet. These, previously (should we use the word "generally" instead of "previously"?) honest, employees may have a greater motivation to exploit some of the opportunities and control weaknesses in their organisation. Unfortunately management fraud is also on the rise and unlike employee fraud; management fraud is less likely to be detected by low-level controls because of management override.  This workshop will explore  the legal and investigative side of employee and management fraud, assisting you to deal with this increasing and complex problem moving forward.  Topics which will be covered include:
·          Fraud hotspots  - risks to be aware of
·          Pre-employment screening and fraud prevention
o         Trends
o         What controls should exist
·          Conducting a staff or manager investigation
o         Why you should, under no circumstances, get your own IT team involved!
o         Why you should utilise legal privilege!
 o         Should I call in a private investigator?
o         Running a procedurally fair investigation
o         Concurrent civil/employment/criminal investigations
·          After the fraud – dealing with ‘abuse of trust’, and ‘theft
o         Employment agreements and company policies - good practice
o         Reprimands, warnings, dismissal?
o         When to let a dismissed employee ‘save face’
o         Recovering lost property and revenue
o         References – what to say if someone asks
o         Laying a complaint with the Police or SFO – should I bother?
Aaron Lloyd, Partner & Jennifer Mills, Partner, MINTER ELLISON RUDD WATTS
Alex Tan, Director, Forensic Services & Campbell McKenzie, Associate Director, Investigations and Forensic Services  PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS

1.30pm – 5.00pm
Workshop Two:
Performance Management: How to Stay Confident, Focused, Fair and Objective
If you’re like most managers, performance management is stressful. Today’s business climate adds a new layer of uncertainty and accountability, making performance management even tougher to navigate. This workshop will equip you with the skills and knowledge to identify and resolve poor performance issues in a timely and effective manner and provide the opportunity to review your organisational policies and practices in light of the law.
• Strategic perspectives on recruitment, induction, expectation setting and probationary periods - getting it right from the start
• The difference between conduct and capability
• How to handle conduct as a defence against poor performance
• Discuss how to tackle and avoid underperformance
• In what circumstances do you extend probation and to what effect?
• How to manage gross incapability
• Benefit from a comprehensive case study
• Consider best practice advice to follow the correct procedures in managing poor performers
• Take away learning from recent case law
• Determine how you will implement a new strategy within your organisation
Michael Quigg, Partner, QUIGG PARTNERS
Simon Martin, Solicitor, QUIGG PARTNERS

Post Conference Workshops – 4th March 2010

9:00am - 12:30pm
Workshop Three:
Interviewing for the Truth: Understanding the Art of Conducting a Comprehensive Investigation
Everyone has at one point or another conducted an interview. However, when it comes to interviewing a target of an investigation, interviewing takes on a whole new meaning. Trusting your instincts as to whether your employee is being open and honest may not be enough. This workshop is designed to help you understand how to increase your success in conducting interviews while ensuring you avoid the risk of grievances. These facilitators will share their experience and discuss:
• Running a thorough and fair process
• Frameworks and techniques
• What questions can be asked?
• How far can the investigator probe?
• Structuring interviews on specific series of questions designed to obtain meaningful information
• Dealing with witnesses and those who make allegations
• Do all complainants and witnesses tell the truth?
• Detecting and probing for signs of deception – is there really anything to interpreting body language and other physical characteristics?
• Avoiding common traps
• Practical exercises
Steph Dyhrberg, Barrister & Solicitor
Detective Inspector Ross Grantham, Strategic Adviser, Investigative Interviewing Unit, Crime Services Centre, Police National Headquarters
Detective Inspector Ross Grantham began his career in 1979 and since 1984, has been a member of the Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB). Over the years, he has gained a vast amount of experience in serious crime investigations. Ross has lectured at the Royal New Zealand Police College on serious crime scene investigation, homicide investigation, command and control and initial action at serious crime scenes. Ross is the Strategic Adviser Investigative Interviewing - a national position created to bring New Zealand police in line with international good practice in investigative interviewing. His team writes the training, sets national standards for investigative interviewing and facilitates the training of all current frontline investigators, specialist investigators and recruits.

1:30 pm - 5:00pm
Workshop Four:
The Bargaining and Negotiation Toolkit: Strategies for Collective Bargaining in the New Economy
Hone your skills, address critical issues in bargaining and engage in an interactive process with your peers. The workshop facilitator will use case studies to highlight difficult problems confronting today's organisations.
• Key strategies to consider and apply when preparing for the next round of collective bargaining
• Getting the Bargaining Process Agreement right.  What to include and what to avoid
• Key principles you need to keep in mind - the negotiating essentials
• Types of negotiators
• Communicating with Employees and third parties during bargaining.  What you can and can’t do
• Negotiating a comprehensive package
• What to do when the bargaining breaks down.  How to get back to the bargaining table
• Managing the business during industrial action
• Options available when the union representatives claim that they cannot sell a critical management demand
• Negotiating with Employee’s on IEA’s during collective bargaining.
David France, Partner, Kiely Thompson Caisley

Agenda

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