The Evolving Workplace: Navigating the intersection between workplace laws and privacy laws

14 October 2020

Felicity Edwards
Partner
Sparke Helmore Lawyers

Felicity Edwards
Partner
Sparke Helmore Lawyers
t: +61 2 9373 1469

Felicity is a workplace lawyer who assists clients in the private and public sector with privacy and employment related issues. She has seen matters through to state and federal courts and tribunals including unfair dismissals, general protections claims, contractual disputes and anti-discrimination claims.

Chantal Tipene
Partner
Sparke Helmore Lawyers

Chantal Tipene
Partner
Sparke Helmore Lawyers
t: +61 2 9260 2542

Chantal is a government law specialist with more than 10 years' experience providing specialist legal advice to the Commonwealth, State and local government. Her experience ranges from major procurement and tendering projects to advising on administrative law matters. She understands the pressures that government departments face from her recent in-house experience as the Deputy General Counsel of the NSW Police Force. In 2011, Chantal was recognised by the Law Society of New South Wales as an Accredited Specialist in Government and Administrative Law.

Welcome to the sixth instalment of The Evolving Workplace podcast.

There has always been an interaction between workplace laws and privacy laws however this has been brought into sharp focus in the midst of the pandemic. Many employers seek to understand their ability to lawfully direct employees to undergo temperature testing or provide medical clearances when exhibiting COVID-like symptoms.

Join Felicity Edwards and Ian Bennett from our Workplace team, along with Chantal Tipene from our Government team and specialising in privacy law, as they discuss reasonable and lawful directions to employees and the requirements that must be satisfied in order to collect personal and sensitive information. They also explore recent case law, provide practical guidance on the applicable legal principles as well as strategies in balancing employee rights with employer obligations.

To listen to the podcast, you can click on The Evolving Workplace link and be directed to Sparke Helmore's podcast page on our website, or listen on Podbean through The Sparke Cast host page.

If there are other topics you’d like us to explore in The Evolving Workplace series, please send me an email at catherine.wilkinson@sparke.com.au.

We hope you enjoy the podcast!

We would like to acknowledge the contribution of Ian Bennett.

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