Employee Relations, IR and Award Advice in Sydney
MTS Talent helps award-heavy Sydney employers handle grievances, investigations, performance issues and award compliance early and fairly, with plain advice from a former HR Director.
What we help with
Employee relations and award advice when it matters
Practical help with the live people issues and award questions that land on the owner's desk when there is no in-house ER specialist.
Conflict, grievances and investigations
Employee relations
Workplace conflict rarely improves on its own. Left alone it damages trust, increases psychosocial risk and can escalate into formal grievances or claims.
- Guidance on difficult conversations and conflict
- Support with grievances and complaints
- Workplace investigations
- Practical advice on formal processes
- Coaching managers through sensitive situations
Classification, pay and compliance
Industrial relations and awards
For multi-site and shift-based employers, award mistakes add up quickly. We check where you stand and help you fix it.
- Award classification and pay rate reviews
- Payroll practice and record-keeping checks
- Rosters, shifts, overtime and penalty rates
- Contracts that match the right award
- Sexual harassment positive duty obligations
Who it is for
Award-heavy employers without an in-house ER specialist
Growing businesses with 10 to 200 staff in warehousing, manufacturing, logistics, hospitality, trades and care, where awards, shifts and people issues land on the owner's desk.
Warehousing and distribution
Multi-site teams, shift rosters and award questions that need clear answers.
Manufacturing and production
Shift work, safety-critical roles and supervisors who need practical support.
Trades
Technicians, maintenance teams and apprentices, with the award and WHS questions that come with them.
Logistics and transport
Drivers, depots and dispatch teams spread across sites and shifts.
Hospitality
Rosters, penalty rates and busy frontline teams across venues.
Aged care and disability care
Care teams where rosters, award compliance and psychosocial risk all matter.
How we work
Plain advice you can act on
Ian has led restructures, investigations, award audits and hard conversations. You get advice delivered or reviewed by Ian every time.
Ian in the room
No juniors and no hand-offs. The same senior contact from first call to close-out.
Plain, practical advice
What to say, what to document and what to do next, in language your managers can use.
HR and IR advice, not legal advice
If a matter needs a lawyer, we will tell you early so you are not left guessing.
Scoped upfront
Every engagement is scoped to your business and quoted after a free discovery call.
Why work with Ian
Senior ER and IR support without hiring a full-time specialist
Most clients have an accidental ER lead: the owner, the operations manager or the finance lead. You get someone who has run people issues in multi-site industrial operations, without the full-time cost.
- One senior point of contact. Ian does the work or reviews it personally, every time.
- Award-heavy workplaces. Experience across warehousing, manufacturing, logistics, hospitality, trades and care.
- HR and IR advice, not legal advice. If a matter needs a lawyer, we will tell you early.
Ian has led restructures, investigations, award audits and hard conversations.
No juniors, no call centre, no hand-offs, just plain advice you can act on.
Who you work with
Ian Lilley FCPHR
Founder and Principal Consultant. Former HR Director with 25 years in HR, including 15+ years in senior roles, much of it across multi-site industrial, manufacturing and supply chain operations. Fellow of the Australian HR Institute (AHRI).
Knows the floor
Years running HR on multi-site industrial operations.
Plain advice
Honest recommendations you can act on straight away.
Awards covered
Classification, pay, rosters and contracts handled properly.
Servicing Sydney
Sydney and NSW employers, on site or online.
Free discovery call
Talk it through on a free 15-minute call
No obligation, just a straight conversation. Ian can help you work through questions like these.
Common questions
Questions about employee relations and awards
Can you help with a live grievance or investigation?
Yes. We support you through grievances, complaints and investigations so they are handled early and fairly.
Can you check if we are paying under the right award?
Yes. We review award classifications, pay rates, payroll practice, contracts and records, then give you a plain list of what to fix.
Do you handle performance issues?
Yes. We guide managers through performance conversations and improvement processes, from first chat to formal steps.
Do you give legal advice?
No. We provide HR and IR advice, not legal advice. If a matter needs a lawyer, we will tell you early.
How are engagements scoped?
Every engagement is scoped to your business and quoted upfront after a free discovery call. We do not publish prices on the website.
Can this sit alongside HR consulting or recruitment?
Yes. Many clients combine employee relations and award support with HR consulting or permanent recruitment so people issues and hiring sit in one place.
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Ready to take the people pressure off your plate?
Book a free discovery call with Ian. No obligation, just a straight conversation about what's right for your business.
Book a discovery call