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Sapphire Parsons
senior associate, employment, safety and migration
meet Sapphireabout Sapphire
about Sapphire
Sapphire Parsons is a firm believer that good business benefits common good. Striking a balance between commercial advice and personable service, Sapphire takes a genuine interest in the ins and outs of her clients’ businesses informing her tactful approach.
Sapphire’s workplace relations experience spans nearly a decade, having worked within the commercial space and at national levels of the Australian union movement. Her practice covers industrial relations, employment, discrimination, and safety.
Using her in-depth experience in industrial relations, Sapphire is trusted by her clients to provide personalised advice for their employment needs. She has assisted clients ranging from large ASX and multinationals through to SMEs and executives, in industries as diverse as labour hire, construction, manufacturing, education, food, technology, retail, healthcare, aged care and the not-for-profit sector.
Clients commend Sapphire for her technical expertise, strategic advice and ability to put clients at ease when dealing with complex workplace disputes. Her experience at the frontline of some of Australia’s largest workplaces also gives Sapphire a valuable commercial edge when it comes to providing workplace advice.
In 2023, Sapphire was recognised as Winner in the Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 Awards for Workplace, Health, and Safety. In 2022, Sapphire was recognised by the legal profession as a rising star in workplace relations when she was named as a Finalist in the Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 Awards for Workplace, Health, and Safety. She was also recognised in the 2022 Lawyers Weekly Women in Law Awards as a Finalist for the Rising Star of the Year (SME) Awards, and Innovator of the Year (Individual) Awards.
Areas of Expertise
- Discrimination
- Employment advisory
- Employments separations and employment termination claims
- Employment and independent contractor engagements
- Industrial relations – advisory and litigation
- Organisational restructures and redundancies
- Post-employment obligations and restraints
- Sexual harassment
- Workplace health and safety
industries
- Accountants
- Construction
- Education and childcare
- Franchising
- Financial services
- Foreign owned subsidiaries
- Food, farms, and agriculture
- Healthcare, aged care and disability services
- Labour hire
- Manufacturing
- Not for profit
- Professional services
- Restructuring and insolvency
- Retail, warehousing, distribution, and logistics
- Start-ups, technology, and IT
recent experience
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industrial stability for a major project
Sapphire assisted an employer in obtaining an enterprise agreement covering work on a major project involving over $1 billion in public investment.
Sapphire assisted the client with an analysis of their enterprise agreement and drafted Fair Work Commission materials supporting the approval of the enterprise agreement.
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swiftly addressing sexual harassment
Sapphire advised a national employer on addressing workplace sexual harassment allegations involving some of its senior employees.
This involved careful consideration of responses to the allegations and other evidence, liaising with the employees who had made the allegations, and administering conflict resolution tactics using sensitivity and discretion.
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managing underperformance for a win-win outcome
Sapphire recently advised an ASX-listed employer on an important process to manage an underperforming employee.
Sapphire provided the employer with a clear set of steps to follow in addressing the performance issues and a framework to support the employee over an extended period. As a result, the employee’s performance significantly improved, and the employer was able to retain them as a valuable contributor in the business.
