Workplace Relations Consultant

Join us and let’s make a bigger difference together.

It’s an exciting time to be joining Australian Unity – we have grown significantly over recent years and are transforming to capitalise on further growth opportunities to help our customers and employees thrive. We operate with commercial principles and with a strong social purpose to create community value. Australian Unity is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Established in 1840, we’re Australia’s first member-owned wellbeing company. Today we have over $1 billion in revenue and provide smart solutions and services to more than 700,000 Australians. We employ over 7000 people and our purpose is to Help People to Thrive.

Your New Role Looks Like This:

The Workplace Relations Consultant is a critical role within the Workplace Relations team that leads and facilitates the effective case management of employee grievances/claims, workplace investigations, conduct and performance issues and (in conjunction with the Employee Care and Claims team) the management of ill and injured employees.

In addition to the above, key Accountabilities include, but are not limited to:

• Guiding & actively supporting managers in responding to these matters, and generally assume responsibility for the more complex/higher risk cases.
• Providing advice to people leaders in relation to interpretation of, and compliance with, employment legislation, industrial instruments, employment contracts and policy.
• Appropriately represent Australian Unity in the Fair Work Commission in relation to individual employee matters such as unfair dismissal, general protections and bullying matters
• Conduct thorough and defensible workplace investigations, engaging with union or legal representatives in a respectful and effective manner
• Provide accurate and appropriate advice to people leaders regarding the interpretation of key legislative obligations, modern awards, Australian Unity enterprise agreements, employment contracts and policies
• If required, effectively coordinate the case management service offering by allocating cases, monitoring progress to resolution and reporting as requested

About You:

• Relevant tertiary qualification in human resources, industrial relations, law or similar
• Previous experience in a workplace/employee relations role or a broader human resources role with a strong workplace relations component
• Strong experience dealing with employee relations case management in a high volume environment
• Interpretation of industrial instruments
• Responding to formal applications in the Fair Work Commission or other employment tribunals
• Solid understanding of employment regulation in Australia, including institutions and employment legislation
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel)

What Makes Us, Us

Putting people first is not just something we say, it's what we do. We care for our people so they can care for themselves and our customers. We stay true to our values (Bold, Warm, Honest), we work hard because it matters and we work well together – collaborating, encouraging and even managing to have some fun.

At Australian Unity we do the right thing and we expect the same from others. Being a member-owned company, means we're focused on our members and customers, not shareholder returns. Our purpose to Help People to Thrive, drives us to make a real difference, every day, big and small. We are passionate about improving the wellbeing of all Australians and about making a positive difference.

Australian Unity is an Equal Opportunity employer and we encourage applications from all members of the community, including people of Aboriginal and Torres strait Islander descent, culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and, mature aged people.