COURSE OVERVIEW:

Welcome to the Manage Employee & Industrial Relations course. This program has been designed to strengthen your capability to oversee complex workplace relationships, navigate legislative frameworks, and implement strategies that support a positive, productive, and legally compliant working environment.

Employee and industrial relations form the foundation of fair, transparent, and respectful workplaces. This course begins by introducing the purpose and scope of contemporary ER/IR practice, highlighting the importance of understanding employment relationships, organisational expectations, and the dynamics that influence cooperation, conflict, and negotiation. It also explores how diverse stakeholders—from employees and unions to employer associations and regulators—shape the ER/IR environment and contribute to organisational stability and performance.

Australia’s industrial relations framework provides the regulatory context within which all workplace interactions occur. This section outlines the structure and function of the national workplace relations system, including the Fair Work Act, the role of the Fair Work Commission, and the hierarchy of awards, enterprise agreements, and employment contracts. It also considers how union representation and employer associations influence bargaining, workplace change, and the rights and responsibilities of all parties.

Strong management of employee and industrial relations requires a clear understanding of organisational needs. This section focuses on analysing workforce composition, identifying existing ER/IR challenges, reviewing the effectiveness of policies and agreements, and aligning organisational requirements with broader business objectives. Through this lens, learners develop the ability to anticipate risks and support strategic decision-making across the employment lifecycle.

Employee relations strategies play a central role in guiding communication, engagement, and conflict prevention. This section examines how to establish ER objectives, align strategy with organisational goals, consult with internal stakeholders, and document long-term approaches that support a fair and supportive workplace culture. It emphasises the importance of proactive relationship-building to minimise disputes and strengthen trust.

Industrial relations strategy development requires a structured and informed approach. This section explores how to identify industrial issues, prioritise negotiation goals, assess compliance obligations, and design IR plans that clearly define responsibilities and timelines. Learners are introduced to planning methods that support readiness for bargaining, workplace change, and emerging industrial risks.

Effective ER/IR strategy development relies on thorough evaluation of available options. This section addresses how to analyse cost–benefit considerations, assess workforce impacts, evaluate legal constraints, and select strategy options that align with organisational needs. Learners examine how to balance operational objectives with employee expectations to determine the most appropriate course of action.

Implementing ER/IR policies and plans requires coordination, communication, and ongoing monitoring. This section explains how to prepare implementation schedules, engage key stakeholders, provide targeted training, and identify emerging issues during the early stages of rollout. It highlights the importance of clear messaging and structured support to ensure successful organisational uptake.

Supporting managers is critical to the consistent application of ER/IR practices. This section explores the coaching, guidance, and advisory functions required to help line managers respond confidently to workplace issues. It also examines the tools, escalation pathways, and accountability structures needed to maintain compliance and strengthen organisational capability.

Clear workplace communication underpins effective employee and industrial relations. This section outlines how to communicate rights and expectations, maintain open and transparent channels, facilitate consultative mechanisms, and manage sensitive information with discretion. By building clarity and trust, organisations reduce the likelihood of conflict and strengthen employee engagement.

Grievance management forms a key component of fair and lawful workplace practice. This section examines the causes of grievances, the steps involved in informal and formal resolution processes, and the techniques used to manage conflict constructively. It also covers methods for monitoring outcomes to ensure issues are resolved and relationships restored.

Workplace investigations require a structured, impartial, and procedurally fair approach. This section explains how to plan investigations, gather and assess evidence, conduct interviews, and prepare comprehensive reports. It stresses the importance of maintaining neutrality, confidentiality, and compliance with legal and organisational requirements throughout the investigative process.

Negotiation and bargaining form the backbone of industrial relations practice. This section explores how to prepare negotiation strategies, identify bargaining parties and issues, conduct discussions ethically and collaboratively, and document outcomes clearly. Through this process, learners develop the skills to achieve balanced agreements that respect both organisational and employee needs.

Industrial disputes can significantly impact organisational functioning. This section provides guidance on identifying early warning signs, applying dispute-resolution procedures, engaging external expertise where necessary, and implementing outcomes that support the restoration of workplace stability. Learners explore preventive and corrective approaches that reduce operational and relational risks.

Legal and policy compliance is essential to sound ER/IR management. This section examines how to monitor legislative change, ensure policy alignment, manage compliance risks, and meet documentation standards. It highlights how strong governance and accurate recordkeeping underpin organisational accountability and reduce exposure to legal challenges.

Evaluating ER/IR performance ensures that strategies remain effective and relevant. This section focuses on establishing KPIs, analysing data, collecting feedback, and refining approaches based on outcomes and trends. It reinforces the role of ongoing evaluation in supporting a responsive and resilient ER/IR environment.

Finally, the course concludes with a focus on continuous improvement. This section explores how organisations benchmark ER/IR performance, learn from disputes and negotiations, embed improvements into systems and processes, and build long-term workplace cultures that prioritise respect, fairness, and positive employee relations.

By the end of this course, you will be equipped with the knowledge, frameworks, and practical skills required to manage employee and industrial relations in a way that supports legislative compliance, reduces organisational risk, and fosters constructive and productive workplace relationships.

Each section is complemented with examples to illustrate the concepts and techniques discussed.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of this course, you will be able to understand the following topics:

1. Introduction to Employee & Industrial Relations

• Purpose and scope of employee and industrial relations
• Key concepts: ER, IR, conflicts, agreements, negotiations
• Stakeholders in the ER/IR environment
• Strategic importance of ER/IR to organisational performance

2. Overview of the Australian Industrial Relations Framework

• Fair Work Act and national workplace relations system
• Role of the Fair Work Commission
• Awards, enterprise agreements and employment contracts
• Employer associations and union representation

3. Understanding Organisational ER/IR Requirements

• Analysing organisational structure and workforce composition
• Identifying existing ER/IR challenges and risks
• Reviewing current policies and agreements
• Aligning ER/IR needs with business strategy

4. Developing Employee Relations Strategies

• Setting ER objectives and performance indicators
• Integrating ER strategy with organisational goals
• Consultation processes with key internal stakeholders
• Documenting long-term ER strategies

5. Developing Industrial Relations Strategies

• Identifying industrial issues and negotiation priorities
• Evaluating IR risks and compliance obligations
• Designing formal IR plans and implementation pathways
• Documenting roles, responsibilities and timelines

6. Assessing ER/IR Strategy Options

• Analysing cost–benefit implications
• Assessing workforce impacts and stakeholder expectations
• Evaluating legal and compliance considerations
• Selecting optimal strategy options for approval

7. Implementing ER/IR Policies and Plans

• Preparing implementation schedules and communication requirements
• Coordinating stakeholder responsibilities
• Providing training for managers and supervisors
• Monitoring early-stage implementation issues

8. Supporting Managers in ER/IR Implementation

• Coaching and advisory support for line managers
• Tools and resources for managing ER/IR matters
• Escalation pathways and support processes
• Ensuring consistent application of policies

9. Managing Workplace Communication in ER/IR

• Communicating rights, responsibilities and expectations
• Maintaining open communication channels
• Facilitating consultative committees and meetings
• Managing sensitive information and confidentiality

10. Managing Grievances and Workplace Conflict

• Types and sources of grievances
• Formal and informal grievance-handling procedures
• Conflict resolution principles and techniques
• Monitoring outcomes and follow-up processes

11. Conducting Workplace Investigations

• Investigation planning and procedural fairness
• Gathering and analysing evidence
• Conducting interviews with workers and witnesses
• Preparing investigation reports and recommendations

12. Managing Negotiations and Bargaining Processes

• Preparing negotiation strategies and objectives
• Identifying parties, issues and bargaining positions
• Conducting negotiations ethically and collaboratively
• Documenting, finalising and communicating outcomes

13. Managing Industrial Disputes and Escalations

• Identifying early warning signs of disputes
• Using dispute-resolution procedures and statutory options
• Engaging mediators, conciliators or legal experts
• Implementing resolutions and restoring workplace stability

14. Ensuring Legal and Policy Compliance

• Monitoring legislative changes affecting ER/IR
• Ensuring policies meet statutory and organisational requirements
• Managing compliance risks and audit processes
• Recordkeeping, reporting and documentation standards

15. Monitoring and Reviewing ER/IR Performance

• Establishing performance measures and KPIs
• Analysing ER/IR data and workplace trends
• Collecting feedback from workforce and stakeholders
• Refining policies and strategies based on outcomes

16. Continuous Improvement in ER/IR Practice

• Benchmarking against industry standards
• Learning from disputes, grievances and negotiations
• Integrating improvements into organisational systems
• Building long-term positive workplace culture

COURSE DURATION:

The typical duration of this course is approximately 3-4 hours to complete. Your enrolment is Valid for 12 Months. Start anytime and study at your own pace.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

You must have access to a computer or any mobile device with Adobe Acrobat Reader (free PDF Viewer) installed, to complete this course.

COURSE DELIVERY:

Purchase and download course content.

ASSESSMENT:

A simple 10-question true or false quiz with Unlimited Submission Attempts.

CERTIFICATION:

Upon course completion, you will receive a customised digital “Certificate of Completion”.