Tania Godagama
Senior AssociateAbout Tania
Tania specialises in employment, industrial relations and work health and safety (WHS) with a focus on providing practical advice to help guide clients through various legal issues in the workplace. She is experienced in conducting workplace investigations in the public and private sectors, defending employee claims and advising on a broad range of issues including performance and disciplinary matters and managing ill and injured employees. Tania’s safety work includes assisting in defending WHS prosecutions and providing advice on compliance with WHS legislation.
What she does
Tania provides commercially aware advice on a wide range of employment issues. She advises on the interpretation of industrial instruments, conducts workplace investigations and drafts employment contracts and policy documents. She also has expertise in defending and advising on claims including, unfair dismissal, general protections, workplace bullying, discrimination and underpayment claims.
Who she works with
Tania has worked with clients across various industries in the private and public sectors, including hospitality, medical, manufacturing, mining, construction, large global corporations, local community service organisations and franchises. She has previously worked on litigation in the Royal Commission and the banking and finance sector.
Qualifications
Tania holds a Juris Doctor and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Melbourne. She also holds a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Leo Cussen Centre for Law.
Life before Sparkes
Tania was admitted to practice in 2019 and has worked exclusively in employment law and industrial relations since 2020. Prior to joining Sparke Helmore, she worked at a national commercial firm in Brisbane, working in employment, litigation and the banking and finance sector.
Life outside of Sparkes
Tania’s career saw her spend almost four years in Queensland—enjoying sunny weekends in Noosa at every opportunity—but Melbourne has always been her home. In her spare time, she loves to cook, create art and play music and now does the same with her young family. Tania has previously volunteered at The Alfred Hospital running a cooking program in the acute psychiatric ward and was also the Chief Operating Officer of the Melbourne University Health Initiative, a student-run charity dedicated to public and global health outcomes.