1300 003 077

General Protections Claim

A general protections claim can be made by workers who have been subjected to unfair treatment from an employer as a result of exercising their workplace rights. Our employment lawyers help companies and workers with general protections claims. We are a fixed fee law firm, so our clients know exactly how much they are paying upfront.

Our team of lawyers help defend adverse action claims as well as provide legal representation to employees. Our deep legal knowledge of the Fair Work Act and fixed fee legal knowledge

General protections can:

  • protect the workplace rights of an employee
  • protect freedom of association
  • protect employees against coercion, intimidation and misrepresentation;
  • protect employees from sham contracting
  • provide protection from discrimination at work
  • provide relief for employees who are discriminated against (for instance, because of an employee’s race, gender, sexuality, pregnancy, age, or disability)or victimised at work

General protections also apply to some independent contractors and other workers.

Contact us for a free consultation

Lead Form - Hero Section - Header (#6)

Our Legal Services

Defending an Adverse Action Claim

If you are an employer seeking representation on general protections matters, our workplace law firm can help.

We defend claims made under the general protections provisions. There are a number of grounds on which an employer may respond to a claim.

It is important to act quickly regarding a general protections dispute. Seeking expert legal advice is an important part of this process.

Making a General Protections Claim

General protections protect workplace rights. A workplace right includes many different types of rights.

For example, employees have the right receive employment entitlements, asking for a flexibility arrangement, asking for a pay rise or making a bullying complaint.

A general protections claim may be made by a prospective employee, independent contractor, current or dismissed employee.

Legal Advice for Employees

We provide legal advice for general protections matters. Our clients include independent contractors and other employees who want to understand their rights.

If you are seeking advice or representation on general protections provisions, our employment law firm can help. Contact us today to schedule a consultation with one of our employment solicitors. And take the first step towards protecting your rights or defending your business.

Legal Advice for Employers

We provide advice that is practical and easy to understand. Our advice and strategy will be tailored to your legal matter. For instance, our employment lawyers will consider whether a general protections dismissal claim has any merits.

Bad leavers and disgruntled workers can cause harm to your business's reputation.Our workplace legal team will work hard to protect your business.

The process for general protections disputes

Initial consultation and advice

We begin with a confidential consultation to understand your matter and how we can help. We may recommend detailed advice so that we can determine the merits of the general protections claim. We will also develop a recommended legal strategy.

Comply with any deadlines or legal requirements

It is important to ensure that any Court or Commission deadlines are met. A matter may also be time sensitive if a business needs to manage its workforce.

Our employment lawyers will assess any important dates and take steps to ensure your rights are protected.

Negotiate an outcome and court representation

Our employment lawyers may advise that a matter is appropriate to pursue a negotiated outcome. For example, if an adverse action claim has strong prospects of success, an employer may wish to negotiate and settle the matter.

Alternatively, if a worker is under stress it may be better for their well-being to settle the matter as soon as possible. If not, the next step is for our employment lawyers to provide legal representation in court or for mediation.

Independent Solicitor's Certificate

Meet our Team of Employment Lawyers

Our team of lawyers come from different industry backgrounds, and all are experienced when it comes to workplace law.

Meet our team of professional employment lawyers – you’ll be glad you did.

employment lawyer and workplace investigation

Farrah Motley

Director

Farrah is an experienced lawyer and has successfully resolved workplace discrimination general protection disputes throughout her career.

Micaela Diaz, Associate Lawyer I am an Australian-qualified lawyer with experience spanning multiple industries and jurisdictions.

Micaela Diaz

Associate Lawyer

Micaela has advised clients on identifying or avoiding a discriminatory reason for employment dismissal and other protections.

Krystal Parle | Senior Lawyer - I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Law from Queensland University of Technology. I am also a Queensland Justice of the Peace.

Krystal Parle​

Senior Lawyer​

Krystal is a senior lawyer with a passion for helping our clients manage issues regarding adverse action and other claims under the Fair Work Act.

Courtney is a highly qualified lawyer with years of experience in managing employment law matters

Courtney Lambert

Senior Lawyer

Taking adverse action can have knock-on effects on an employer and their workplace. Courtney has a depth of knowledge in how to respond if a general protections dispute occurs.

Check Out Our Latest Blog Posts

What is proportionate liability?

What is proportionate liability?

Proportionate liability means that a person is only responsible for the part of the loss or damage that they caused. In other words, if someone is proportionally liable, they are

What Does Negligence Mean?

What Does Negligence Mean?

Under Australian law, negligence occurs if a person fails to take reasonable care to avoid causing damage to an individual or business to whom they owe a duty of care.

The Ultimate Legal Guide to Building Information Modelling

The Ultimate Legal Guide to Building Information Modelling

Welcome to The Ultimate Legal Guide to Building Information Modelling. This guide provides an in-depth look at how the law applies to building information modelling, as well as the legal

General Protections Law FAQs

The Fair Work Act 2009 deals with adverse action in Part 3-1. It includes provisions to protect employees and other workers from adverse actions taken by employers. For example, in response to the exercise of worker rights or other protected attributes. Adverse action refers to any action that is harmful to an employee or potential employee. It can include things like dismissal, demotion, harassment, or any other form of discrimination.

The Fair Work Act 2009 provides the following key protections against adverse action:

Protected Workplace Rights: The Fair Work Act 2009 protects a range of rights that employees and workers are entitled to exercise without fear of adverse action. These rights include the ability to join a union, participate in industrial activities, request flexible working arrangements, and take parental leave, among others.

General Protections Claim: Part 3-1 establishes general protections against adverse action. It is unlawful for an employer to take adverse action against an employee or potential employee. For instance, because they have exercised a workplace right or have a protected attribute, such as their race, sex, age, disability, religion, etc.

Temporary Absence: The Act also protects employees from adverse action due to temporary absences from work because of illness or injury.

Industrial Activity: The Act protects employees engaged in industrial activities, such as participating in industrial action, from adverse action.

Protection Against Misleading Information: Employers are prohibited from providing false or misleading information to employees or potential employees to induce them to take adverse action against their rights.

There are serious consequences if a protections claim is successfully made against a business. These include penalties, compensation, reputational consequences and possible disclosure obligations to future clients and in tender submissions.

For these reasons, employers should take reasonable steps to avoid any adverse action or protections claims. On the other hand, it is important to defend any unfounded claim or where a genuine redundancy or fair dismissal has taken place.

Our team of workplace lawyers can provide advice and strategies to avoid these circumstances.

A prospective employee does have legal rights against a company if they are using discriminatory or misleading hiring practices. A workplace right may exist even if an employee hasn’t started working for an employer.

For an employer, this means that they must not discriminate against job applicants. This includes the basis of their gender, race, age, religion, or other personal characteristics. Companies must ensure that their job advertisements do not contain any discriminatory language or requirements. Further, it is unlawful not to hire someone because of a prohibited reason.

The Competition and Consumer Act also prohibits companies from engaging in conduct this is misleading or deceptive in their hiring practices. If a job advertisement or offer of employment is not true and correct, a worker may have legal rights.

General protections protect workplace rights. A workplace right includes many different types of rights.

We provide legal advice for general protections matters, including:

  • to independent contractors and other employees who want to understand their rights
  • whether grounds exist for discrimination, such as because of sexual orientation, social origin, carer’s responsibilities, marital status or political opinion
  • how to manage a problem if adverse action occurs

We provide advice that is practical and easy to understand. Our advice and strategy will be tailored to your legal matter. For instance, our employment lawyers will consider:

  • whether a claim has any merits
  • if an employer taking adverse action has a reasonable justification for the steps they have taken
  • how allegations of adverse action may impact an employer and its broader workforce
  • whether the claim triggers any reporting obligations
  • the best strategy to defend, manage and/or settle the claim

Contact us today to schedule a consultation with one of our employment solicitors. And take the first step towards defending your business.