Legal advice from the Workplace Advice Service

Introduction

The Commission's Workplace Advice Service organises free legal help for employees and employers that qualify.

You may be able to speak with a lawyer if an appointment is available.

The service is only for employment issues that involve:

dismissal
general protections
bullying at work
sexual harassment at work.

Note: Lawyers who give legal advice through the Workplace Advice Service work for organisations that have an agreement with us. We do not pay these organisations to partner with us. They are independent businesses or services that volunteer their time.

Who can use the service

Employees

To be eligible for help, you must:

not have a lawyer or paid agent
not be a member of a union
have an enquiry or issue about dismissal, general protections, workplace bullying or sexual harassment at work.

Small business employers

To be eligible for help, you must:

have less than 15 employees (which means the Fair Work Act 2009 defines you as a small business)
not have in-house legal, workplace relations or human resources staff
not have a lawyer or paid agent
not be a member of an employer association
have an enquiry or issue about dismissal, general protections, workplace bullying or sexual harassment at work.

Note:

Using this service is not the same as starting an application with the Commission.

Some of our applications have strict deadlines. If you need help before a deadline, or are not eligible, look up where to find legal help.

How the service works

Step 1: Check if you may be eligible

Check your eligibility in the request form.

Step 2: Complete the request form

If you're eligible, you will be able to submit a request.

Step 3: Make your appointment

We will then either:

organise an appointment for you
put you in touch with a lawyer so they can make an appointment for you.

Your appointment may take place by phone or in person.

Note: Sometimes appointments are not available due to high demand. We will tell you if this happens and suggest who else you can ask for help.

Step 4: Attend your appointment

Appointments generally go for one hour.

During the appointment, the lawyer will listen to what you have to say. They might ask you some questions to better understand the situation.

The lawyer may then offer advice on:

what issues are likely to come up at a Commission proceeding
whether your issue or enquiry is likely to succeed if you decide to pursue it.