Workplace Relations Conference 2026

Stay ahead of the changes shaping today's workplaces

Join us at the 2026 Workplace Relations Conference to hear directly from industry experts, legal specialists and regulators on the Industrial Relations topics and trends that impact your business.

This all-day event is designed for business leaders and HR professionals to connect, learn and share ideas, gain new ways of thinking about managing people, and stay ahead of the changes shaping today’s workplaces.

The conference program includes sessions on:

• Using AI in HR: Opportunities, where the risks sit, and how employers can adopt the technology responsibly.

• Work Health & Safety deep dive: Best practice approaches to manual handling, injury prevention, and meeting safety requirements.

• The top IR changes impacting business: What’s changing, key developments, and how employers can respond.

• Resolving disputes in the workplace: Effective approaches, key considerations, and strategies to minimise risk and escalation.

See the full conference program here.

This conference is delivered with the support of Gilchrist Connell, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Australian Government's Productivity, Education and Training Fund.

Secure your tickets for Queensland’s leading Workplace Relations event of 2026.

Conference details:

Date: Thursday, 21 May 2026
Time: 8:45am for a 9:00am start to 4:30pm
Venue: The Westin Brisbane
Address: 111 Mary St, Brisbane
Business Chamber Queensland member price: $295 per person + GST
Non member price: $395 per person + GST
Live streaming: $195 +GST
Live streaming Business Chamber Queensland member price: $165 +GST

Post Conference Networking drinks:
Time: 4:30pm - 6:30pm
Venue: The Westin Brisbane

For members only: Click on 'access code' on the registration page and enter the email address associated with your Business Chamber Queensland membership and hit 'apply'. This will apply member discount. Please contact the Business Chamber Queensland's marketing team at marketing@businesschamberqld.com.au for any assistance. Tickets are non-refundable. Ticket prices are excluding GST. Terms and conditions apply. See here 

Meet your speakers:

Mark Curran, Principal, Gilchrist Connell

Mark is a highly experienced employment and safety lawyer who advises and assists employers across a wide range of industries, helping them manage, prevent and mitigate workplace risks by establishing employment structures such as enterprise agreements, employment, consultancy contracts, effecting workplace change through restructures, mergers and terminations, advising on misconduct, performance management, and the management of ill and injured employees, and providing guidance on WHS obligations. Where disputes arise, he handles litigation including enforcing post-employment restraints, defending unfair dismissal and general protections claims, discrimination complaints and breach of contract proceedings, acting for employers under Employment Practices Liability policies, and defending WHS prosecutions. Mark regularly appears as an advocate in final hearings before the Fair Work Commission, the Federal Court, and the Federal Circuit and Family Court, is known for his practical, pragmatic and timely approach, and is widely recognised for his leading expertise in the profession. He is the author of Australian Commercial Precedents: Employment Agreements and a contributor to National Workplace Relations, both published by Thomson Reuters.

Sharon Durham, Commissioner, Fair Work Commission

Sharon Durham was appointed to the Fair Work Commission in 2023. Prior to her appointment, she served as Chief of Staff to the Queensland Minister for Industrial Relations, Education and Racing. Sharon was instrumental in delivering Australia’s first labour hire licensing scheme, in criminalising wage theft, and in developing the Queensland Government’s response to silicosis that ultimately led to a complete ban on the manufacture and installation of engineered stone in Australia.  

Sharon began her career as an Industrial Officer with the Queensland State Service Union and later with the Queensland Council of Unions (QCU). She led multi-union bargaining and represented the QCU in test cases and inquiries that led to landmark outcomes in gender pay equity, workplace bullying and improved entitlements for working families.  

Having held senior roles in the construction industry, the health sector and government, Sharon appreciates the competing interests that parties bring to any negotiation, as well as the positive impact that outcome-focused collaboration can have on bargaining and dispute resolution. 

Sharon’s career has been defined by a deep commitment to fairness and equality in the workplace – values that continue to define her work at the Commission. 

Jonathon Hadley, Partner, Gadens

Jonathon Hadley has over 19 years’ experience in employment, industrial relations and workplace health and safety law. Jonathon has represented clients in a wide range of industries including oil and gas, construction, labour hire, traffic management, retail, government agencies, and medium to large private enterprises. 

Jonathon has advised and acted for employers in the defence of claims for unfair dismissal, unlawful terminations, unpaid entitlements, bullying, harassment and discrimination. He has lead matters involving restraint of trade enforcement and actions for breach of employment contracts. Jonathon has also conducted reviews and appeals of statutory workers’ compensation claims and has defended common law claims for damages by employees. 

He has substantial experience in providing advice in relation to the National Employment Standards, injunctive relief on industrial relations issues, and advising and implementing workplace agreements as well as advising on EBA’s. 

Jonathon regularly participates in workplace health and safety investigations, advises regarding Australian Building and Construction Commission matters and code compliance, and lectures and gives formal presentations to clients regarding changes in Employment and WHS legislation. 

Tatjana Jokic, Psychologist and Managing Director, JK Corporate Resourcing

Tatjana Jokic is a Registered Psychologist and experienced rehabilitation leader with over 25 years’ experience working with individuals and organisations to improve workplace wellbeing and recovery outcomes. Her work focuses on complex psychological injury, psychosocial risk management and sustainable return to work within the workers compensation, CTP and life insurance schemes. 

 Tatjana is the Managing Director of JK Corporate Resourcing, a national workplace rehabilitation provider delivering services across Australia. Through her work she partners with employers, insurers and regulators to support evidence-informed rehabilitation practices and improve recovery outcomes for workers with both physical and psychological injuries. 

 Tatjana is a member of the Standards Australia Committee on Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems which developed the standard for psychological health at work and is part of the working group on the International Standards Organization which developed a standard for safe working in a pandemic. She is the President of the Qld Council for the Australian Rehabilitation Providers Association and Secretary on the NSW Council. Tatjana is a full member of ASORC, AAPI, and CDAA. 

She has presented at a range of industry and workplace relations conferences, sharing practical insights on psychological injury management, early intervention and building psychologically safe workplaces. 

Fahim Khondakker, Partner, Data & AI, BDO 

Fahim leads BDO’s Data and AI service offering and is a Professor of Practice at the University of New South Wales Business School. Fahim is a sought-after thought leader on Data and AI in Australia. He has spoken at numerous high-impact national and global events and has been published on numerous reputable platforms on this topic. According to ChatGPT as at January 2026, Fahim emphasises “practical adoption, value creation, and human centered oversight” when it comes to AI and his views are considered “balanced and pragmatic” by the LLM.  

Fahim has over 16 years of experience across the areas of operational and commercial analysis, strategy, social impact and stakeholder engagement. Fahim was previously recognised by the Australian Financial Review as a BOSS Young Executive of the Year. 

Stephen Mackie, Barrister at Law

Stephen has been an industrial relations and employment practitioner for nearly 20 years.  He came to the bar in 2014, where he is known as a specialist in that space, and is currently recognised on both the state and national Doyle’s guide rankings in his field.  He is a regular speaker at the Queensland Bar Association’s bi-annual industrial relations conference, and in 2024 was invited by the Federal Court to speak at its annual Employment and Industrial Relations Seminar.  He is also known for his work in matters involving restraint of trade and confidential information. 

Sally McLellan, Head of Employee Relations, BHP

Sally is a seasoned Employee Relations leader and has spent the past 15 years at BHP. Currently serving as Head of Employee Relations, Sally oversees complex ER matters, litigation and transformational change across the business. Sally’s role is pivotal in aligning people strategies with operational goals to drive productivity through a safe, engaged and high-performing workforce. Sally’s scope covers BHP’s Coal and Copper Assets, Major Projects and Operating Functions across Australia. 

Sally began her career in private legal practice and has a combined Arts/Law Degree from Monash University and was admitted as a Solicitor in the Supreme Court of Victoria in 2008. Sally is also a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.   

Originally from Melbourne, Sally spent 5 years working in on mine sites in and around Moranbah QLD, gaining invaluable frontline experience that continues to shape her pragmatic and people-focussed approach. Throughout her career, Sally has led enterprise bargaining, represented BHP in the Fair Work Commission and participated within key industry and employer groups.  

Now based in Brisbane and balancing life as a working parent of two, Sally brings a grounded, inclusive style to her national role. Sally is passionate about professional development and is an accredited coach and mentor.    

Andrew Rich, Partner, Gadens

Andrew Rich is an industrial and employee relations specialist, with over 25 years’ experience. He’s previously held roles in leading national industrial and employment relations practices as well as practicing as a barrister in both Sydney and Brisbane. Andrew comes to Gadens from Slater & Gordon, where he was Head of the National Industrial and Employment Practice and previously held the role of Practice Leader of the Queensland Industrial and Employment Practice. 

Andrew’s areas of experience range from breach of contract issues, enterprise agreement negotiations and bargaining, enterprise agreement and award contraventions, workplace disputes, wage and entitlements, workplace investigations and disciplinary processes, unfair dismissal and general protections issues, discrimination, bullying, and sexual harassment. 

He has extensive experience advising clients in the public sector, as well as in finance, health, transportation and logistics, and mining in particular. This broad experience gives Andrew a unique insight into how to best approach each matter and the means to understand and empathise with each client’s unique situation. 

Andrew has been recognised by Doyle’s Guide as a Leading and Recommended Employment Lawyer in Queensland for many years. 

Associate professor Penelope Williams (Penny), Director of the Centre for Decent Work and Industry, QUT

Associate Professor Penelope Williams (Penny) is the Director of the Centre for Decent Work and Industry at QUT, Co-lead of the Human-Robot Workforce research program in the Australian Cobotics Centre, and an ARC Discovery Early Career Research Award (DECRA) 2023-2026 recipient based in the School of Management at QUT. With an industry background in human resources, Penny’s research critically explores technology’s impact on workers and the organisation of work, including the emergence of new work arrangements such as gig or platform work, hybrid working, and AI-enabled automated management practices. Her research on the prevalence and characteristics of digital platform work in Australia has informed several government inquiries, highlighted the gendered dimensions of digital platform work, and expanded debates from food delivery and rideshare to broader forms of gig work such as care and creative work. Within the Australian Cobotics Centre her research helps organisations to understand the human implications when adopting collaborative robots (cobots) in manufacturing and prepare for the emergence of humanoid robots in workplaces. Her current research investigates the platformisation of work and the impact of AI and algorithmic management on workers and those seeking work. Penny is on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Industrial Relations, a member of the Queensland Chief Scientists Social Sciences Reference Group, and an advisory member of the Australian Human Resources Institute’s Research and Future of Work panels. She has been a two-time recipient of the QUT Vice Chancellor’s Performance Award for excellence in teaching practice and for research engagement.