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Paul O'Halloran

Paul O'Halloran

Paul O'Halloran is a partner and accredited specialist in workplace relations at law firm Dentons.

Worker wellbeing is a growing concern for organisations with increases in psychosocial risk claims and work absences due to stress and exhaustion.

Office gossip is now against the law. (But you didn’t hear that from me)

There has been a shift in workplace culture, away from resilience and towards heightened sensitivity to interpersonal dynamics. Acts of “psycho-social harm” can now put you in courtroom.

  • Paul O'Halloran

Latest

The snooping boss, the exec assistant’s secret OnlyFans business and our right to sneak a break

I’ve seen time theft including employees doing home renovations on the clock and another streaming pornography daily (even during work Zoom calls).  

  • Paul O'Halloran
Employers need to ask the right questions to prevent evil entering workplaces.

My job is to root out dodgy workers. These are the warning signs to look for in childcare

I investigate employee misconduct in the childcare, aged care and education sectors - and I’ve seen how evil infiltrates workplaces.

  • Paul O'Halloran
The idea of sending bosses who underpay workers might appeal, but will it fix the problem?

Sending bad bosses to jail won’t stop wage theft. Seize their homes

The theatre of “lock up the executives” plays well to workers, but to get the attention of lawbreakers, we should publicly shame them.

  • Paul O'Halloran
Australians think that they have freedom of speech, but workplace laws tell another story.

It’s dangerous to talk politics at work – especially if you want to keep your job

Dolly Parton recommends keeping your mouth shut if you want to stay in show business. Much the same could be said for any workplace in Australia.

  • Paul O'Halloran
Illustration: Dionne Gain

Lazy workers are licking their lips as the right-to-disconnect laws loom

From next month, protective workplace measures with good intentions will be exploited by slack employees and put hardworking colleagues at risk.

  • Paul O'Halloran
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The number of “furries” attending Australia’s annual convention has soared over the past decade.

No, you can’t wear a tail to work and expect to keep your job

What you do on the weekend is entirely your own business, but as an employment lawyer, I can assure you that you cannot dress as a furry at work and expect legal protection.

  • Paul O'Halloran
Firing badly behaving employees is set to become harder for bosses if Labor’s latest proposals are approved.

Problem staff can ruin a workplace. Why is it getting harder to fire them?

Post-COVID, employees are more aggro than ever before, meaning bullying, sexual harassment, disobedience, gaslighting, negativity, and disputation are reaching record highs across workplaces.

  • Paul O'Halloran
Andrew Thorburn Essendon

Thorburn case shows vulnerability of human rights protections at work

Employers tread a slippery slope when they cherry-pick the human rights they are willing to respect and those they are not.

  • Paul O'Halloran