By Brian AJ NewmanEmployment & Human Rights Advocate Every now and then, amid the legislation, submissions, hearings and deadlines, something arrives that reminds me exactly why I chose this path. It isn't a judgment in my favour. It isn't a settlement agreement. It isn't recognition from a tribunal. It's a simple message from a client. Recently, after completing detailed submissions for an upcoming employment matter, I received the following email. The client has kindly perm

By Brian AJ NewmanEmployment & Human Rights Advocate A Piece of History—And a Piece of My Own Every now and then, I come across something tucked away that reminds me not only of Australia's political history, but of my own journey. This is one of those items. It is an Open Letter to Australians, dated 31 August 1998, signed by four former Prime Ministers—Malcolm Fraser, Gough Whitlam, Bob Hawke and Paul Keating. It was published during one of the most politically charged peri

By Brian AJ Newman LLB Principal Employment & Human Rights Advocate Workplace bullying is more than just "part of the job" Every year, thousands of Australian workers experience behaviour that leaves them anxious about going to work. Some are humiliated in front of colleagues. Others are isolated, undermined, subjected to malicious rumours or targeted by repeated intimidation. Many employees assume that once workplace bullying occurs, the Fair Work Commission can order compen

Whether your matter involves unfair dismissal, workplace discrimination, sexual harassment, bullying, victimisation, general protections, workers' compensation or a human rights complaint, your credibility may become your most valuable asset—or your greatest liability. The Truth Doesn't End When the Hearing Does Many people mistakenly believe that once a tribunal or commission hearing concludes, their evidence disappears with it. It does not. In reality, every answer given un

The Courts Have Spoken. The Value of Human Dignity Is No Longer Measured by Yesterday's Standards. For many years, victims of workplace discrimination and sexual harassment faced an uncomfortable reality. Even when they proved their case, compensation for the humiliation, distress and psychological harm they suffered was often modest. Awards between $12,000 and $20,000 became the accepted norm despite the devastating consequences discrimination can have on a person's career,

If Someone Tells You "Discrimination Cases Only Pay $20,000" – They're Living in the Past One of the most persistent myths in Australian employment and discrimination law is that successful discrimination complaints only attract modest compensation. For years, employers, insurers and even some advisers routinely pointed to historical decisions where compensation for hurt, humiliation and distress fell between $12,000 and $20,000. That argument is now fundamentally outdated. I