Our client service philosophy is based on building long term partnerships with our clients and is founded on cost effective professional advice provided in a timely manner.
What makes Hunter Employee Relations different?
- Hunter Employee Relations clients are principally small to medium employers in Newcastle, the Hunter and on the Central Coast.
- We provide close guidance to our clients through the legal minefield of employee relations where you don’t know you’ve taken a wrong step until it's too late.
- We will advise on a practical, cost effective, risk managed solution knowing we cannot remove all the risk.
- Our strong service focus has resulted in retaining many long-term clients that call us when they need us – NO lock in contracts or monthly retainers.
- Expertise and experience that comes from over 30 years of practical employee relations and employment law experience across multiple industries.
Employee Relations and Employment Law Support for HR Representatives
Hunter Employee Relations is the first point of support for many client HR personnel in the Newcastle, Hunter and Central Coast regions. Michael is happy to work with and support HR personnel in their organisation at the level of support they require.
"Michael has guided us through many complex industrial relations and employment law issues since 2008. This has included performance terminations, negotiation of several Enterprise Agreements and business restructuring resulting in redundancies.
He has always shown a strong personal interest in protecting our business in a very professional and practical manner. He is easy to work with and has become an essential part of our business." (HR Manager Lampson Australia)
What we don’t do…..
We do not have expensive retainer contracts with monthly payments. These are very unfair for small to medium sized business.
We do not operate a hotline staffed with Graduates or less experienced staff. Clients talk to Michael who has over 35 years industrial relations and employment law experience.
How we work with you
We don’t require clients to have long term contracts or monthly retainers. They are expensive and unfair on small to medium employers.
Consulting Service Arrangement
No charge for ongoing clients for the odd ‘quick advice call’.
Consulting services and in-depth advice calls charged at the standard hourly rate.
Prepayment Service Arrangement
Alternatively, clients may also choose the prepayment option.
This is an agreed monthly payment which accumulates in the client’s ‘bank’ and can be used as needed for:
- consulting services and in-depth calls.
- purchasing templates, training courses or other services.
No charge for ongoing clients for the odd ‘quick advice call’.
A discounted hourly rate applies for withdrawals from the client’s pre-paid accumulation and whenever their accumulation goes into negative.
Simply put – there is no lock in contract or service fee, and clients can access services for all their prepayments.
Clients utilising the prepaid option will be notified when the Fair Work Commission makes changes to their relevant Modern Award. Other benefits relating to Employment Contracts Templates and the Essentials Policy and Procedures Package are also available.
Contact Michael Schmidt for more information on the consulting and prepayment options.
Have an urgent problem – not a client yet?
New clients are encouraged to contact Hunter Employee Relations to talk through their issues or concerns. There is no charge for this.
After the initial consultation, I normally meet with clients to explore their situation in much more detail and look at options. This will result in the development of an appropriate strategy and action plan.
Michael Schmidt
The Director and Principal Consultant of Hunter Employee Relations
Michael has over 30 years' extensive experience gained through senior Employee Relations and Human Resources Management roles in operational business environments. He has also consulted to clients while working for national industry associations and industrial relations consultancies.
Michael established Hunter Employee Relations in 2008 after working in an industrial relations capacity for several large employer associations, a specialised consultancy and several large employers with many workplace relations problems.
Hunter Employee Relations has helped many small to medium sized employers through a wide range of industrial relations and employment law issues. His area of speciality has become investigations, behaviour change counselling, discipline process, bullying and harassment as well as terminations. These issues keep many business managers awake at 3am in the morning.
Michael has assisted many employers through Unfair Dismissal and General Protections claims in the Fair Work Commission, as well as sexual harassment cases in the Australian Human Rights Commission. He prides himself on achieving a low-cost outcome for his clients through thorough preparation and tactical manoeuvres.
Michael prefers to assist employers early in any disciplinary or termination processes in anticipation of the employee challenging their termination in Fair Work. This area of law is getting unnecessarily complex and very difficult for employers to manage on their own without significant risk. While Unfair Dismissals are limited to 6 months wage General Protections have no compensation limit. Setting up a termination correctly is the least stressful way to fight it once you are before the tribunal.
“Employers are facing new challenges through the proliferation of ‘no-win, no-fee’ solicitors which employees are happy to jump on board with in anticipation of receiving a large financial payout for no upfront cost. These solicitors force employers into large settlements to prevent further court action. With preparation we can develop a fairly sound case.”
Then we fight them.
Michael’s formal qualifications include:
- Bachelor of Commerce – Industrial Relations Major (University of Melbourne)
- Graduate Diploma in Labour Relations Law (University of Melbourne)
- Studies in Master of Law & Legal Practice (University of Technology Sydney)
- Master of Human Resources Management (Graduate School – University of Newcastle)
