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Michael Selinger

Partner - Sydney

Areas of Expertise

Workplace Relations & Safety, Royal Commissions & Commissions of Inquiry, Regulatory, Transport, Shipping & Logistics, Government

Contact Michael

+61 2 8083 0430 michael.selinger@holdingredlich.com

Expertise

Michael is a partner in our Sydney office and practices in all areas of workplace relations with a special focus on work health and safety. Michael acts for a diverse range of clients in construction and manufacturing, agribusiness, media, education, professional services, transport and government.

He has been listed in The Best Lawyers in Australia edition for Occupational Health and Safety Law since 2020. In 2021, he was also recognised as one of NSW’s leading workplace health and safety lawyers by Doyle’s Guide.

Michael’s expertise includes:

  • appearing in industrial disputes, litigated claims and coronial hearings
  • work health and safety including structuring WHS management systems, agreements, policies and procedures
  • conducting internal workplace investigations and dealing with investigations by regulatory agencies including SafeWork, Department of Immigration, Fair Work Ombudsman and ABCC
  • management of injured workers including workers compensation, personal injury and return to work issues
  • preparing all forms of employment contracts, including executive contracts, protection of confidential information and restraints of trade
  • the development of collective agreements and interpretation of the Fair Work Act 2009 and industrial instruments
  • managing employment issues in a transfer of business and company restructuring including advice in relation to outsourcing, organisational change and redundancy.

Experience

Michael has extensive litigation experience in employment disputes and defending work health and safety prosecutions. Before joining Holding Redlich, Michael’s practice included acting on behalf of SafeWork NSW in prosecuting breaches of the safety legislation. Michael is a regular presenter of seminars and training on workplace issues, in particular on work health and safety.

Publications

01 September 2021 - Knowledge

Can you mandate vaccinations in your workplace?

#Workplace Relations & Safety

In this article, we explore the legal basis for a mandatory vaccination policy and the key legal considerations for employers.

24 August 2021 - Knowledge

When a duck is not a duck: Differentiating contractors from employees

#Workplace Relations & Safety

Following a recent narrow judgment on the meaning of casual employment, the High Court will soon determine two key cases regarding the rules distinguishing contractors from employees.

04 August 2021 - Knowledge

High Court hands down landmark decision on casual employment

#Workplace Relations & Safety

The High Court has handed down its decision in WorkPac v Rossato. The landmark decision overturns the Full Federal Court and confirms that casual employment is to be determined by the terms of the agreement rather than the employment relationship.

04 August 2021 - Knowledge

Employee wrongfully dismissed after exercising a work health and safety right

#Workplace Relations & Safety

The Federal Circuit Court has penalised an employer and its director for dismissing an employee who exercised a workplace right to refuse unsafe work.

30 June 2021 - Knowledge

Commonwealth wins appeal against convictions in Captain David Wood saga

#Workplace Relations & Safety

The Supreme Court of the ACT has recently upheld an appeal by the Commonwealth against its conviction in the long-running prosecution relating to the death of helicopter pilot David Wood in 2016.

18 June 2021 - Knowledge

National minimum wage set to increase

#Workplace Relations & Safety

On 16 June 2021, the Fair Work Commission handed down its decision in the Annual Wage Review 2020-21. The decision increases the National Minimum Wage and modern award minimum wages by 2.5% with staggered operative dates from 1 July 2021.

05 May 2021 - Knowledge

Roadblocks to restraint: Have you picked the right jurisdiction?

#Workplace Relations & Safety

The NSW Supreme Court has upheld the exclusive jurisdiction clause in a departing executive’s employment contract, requiring the employer to seek relief overseas after they originally commenced restraint proceedings in NSW.

21 April 2021 - Knowledge

Changes to sexual harassment legislation – how can you prepare?

#Workplace Relations & Safety

The Federal Government has released their ‘Roadmap for Respect’ following the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Respect@Work inquiry into sexual harassment in Australian workplaces. We look at what the Roadmap entails and highlight three key steps employers should take to prepare for these changes.

31 March 2021 - Knowledge

Making an enterprise agreement – what to tell employees before the vote

#Workplace Relations & Safety

The Fair Work Commission recently declined to approve a number of enterprise agreement applications, finding that insufficient explanations of the agreements were provided to employees.

24 March 2021 - Knowledge

A brave new world: Preparing for the end of the JobKeeper scheme

#Workplace Relations & Safety, #COVID-19

With the end of JobKeeper fast approaching, there are still many considerations for affected employers, including the legal risks of restructuring a business.

17 March 2021 - Knowledge

Considering redundancies? Key legal requirements to ensure a genuine redundancy

#Workplace Relations & Safety

With JobKeeper ending in less than a fortnight, affected businesses may now consider redundancies to reduce labour costs. We set out the legal requirements of a genuine redundancy and demonstrate how each requirement comes into play in three recent cases.

03 March 2021 - Knowledge

NSW Government Bulletin

#Government, #Workplace Relations & Safety

In this edition, we look at SafeWork NSW’s new customer service standard which provides guidance to risk managers, in-house counsel and government lawyers dealing with workplace investigations by the regulator.

03 March 2021 - Knowledge

UK Supreme Court rules Uber drivers are employees – what does this mean for Australia?

#Workplace Relations & Safety

The UK Supreme Court has ruled that Uber drivers are employees, not self-employed contractors, and are entitled to employee benefits. We discuss the implications for businesses in Australia.

08 December 2020 - Knowledge

Have yourself a merry little safe Christmas

#Workplace Relations & Safety, #COVID-19

We outline eight steps to help employers host a safe and incident-free Christmas work function.

11 November 2020 - Knowledge

Western Australia passes new safety laws

#Workplace Relations & Safety

The Work Health and Safety Bill has recently passed the Upper House and the final vote in the Lower House. The new laws are expected to commence once the supporting regulations are finalised early next year.

21 October 2020 - Knowledge

Is a safety regulator’s enforcement notice always valid? Not if the notice was issued ‘under dictation’

#Workplace Relations & Safety

A finding by the NSW Ombudsman means organisations should carefully review any safety enforcement notices, and assess whether the notices were issued without a reasonable belief that a contravention exists or under instructions by another person.

09 September 2020 - Knowledge

Sacked employee reinstated after sending racist messages to colleagues by mistake

#Workplace Relations & Safety

Does an apology make things right? The Fair Work Commission has ordered an employer to reinstate an employee who was dismissed after sending racist WhatsApp messages to a work group chat.

26 August 2020 - Knowledge

Dismissing a long-term employee for a safety breach: Key considerations for employers

#Workplace Relations & Safety

The Full Bench of the Fair Work Commission has upheld the dismissal of an employee with 30 years’ service for breaching safety rules.

Upcoming Seminars

16 Feb 21 to 07 Dec 21

National ports program 2021

Holding Redlich is pleased to invite you to our webinar series designed for port and terminal owners and operators. These webinars will provide insights on the current trends and issues that matter to you. Now more than ever ports are vital nodes in an increasingly complex web of trade routes that span the globe. COVID 19 is forcing most of us to reconsider how we do things, and ports are no exceptions. This series will look at how Australian ports might navigate the challenges and opportunities posed by 2020, and how 2021 might be their most interesting year ever.

Register now

20 Apr 21 to 23 Nov 21

Queensland Government seminar series 2021

Holding Redlich is pleased to invite you to our 2021 Queensland Government webinar series which we have tailored specifically for lawyers working within Queensland Government departments, statutory bodies and authorities and government-owned corporations in Queensland. These monthly seminars will offer you insights, updates and practical tips from our experts on topics which we consider to be particularly relevant for lawyers acting in the Queensland public sector this year.

Register now

12 Oct 21

Data security and opportunities for Ports: what this means for you | 2021 Ports series

From health crises and vessel casualties to cyber-attacks, ports regularly find themselves responding to incidents over which they do not have complete control or responsibility. Despite this, port owners and operators have a critical role to play in managing such issues for themselves, port users and public stakeholders. We take a look at how port owners and operators might approach the preparation and management of these issues and their aftermath.  We will also look at how emerging technologies like block chain provide new opportunities for collaboration and increased efficiency.

Register now
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