Alana Rafter
Senior Associate
EXPERIENCE
Alana is an employment and industrial relations lawyer based in Sydney. Her expertise includes:
- modern award interpretation and compliance
- advising on compliance with work health and safety legislation
- responding to unfair dismissal, general protections and discrimination claims
- workplace investigations
- preparing and reviewing contracts and policies
- advising on employment and workplace matters.
She is an experienced advocate and has unique experience representing peak employer associations in large scale work value proceedings, including:
- Aged Care Work Value proceedings – appearing on behalf of Australian Business Industrial (‘ABI’) and the Aged & Community Care Providers Association (‘ACCPA’). The principles established in these landmark proceedings will impact all future work value proceedings.
- Nurses and Midwives Work Value proceedings – appearing on behalf of ABI and ACCPA.
- Gender Undervaluation – Priority Awards Work Value proceedings – appearing alongside a team of advocates representing employer associations with members operating in the following industries: childcare, community pharmacy, health services, disability, social and community services, home care, etc. These proceedings commenced in June 2024 and will be the largest work value proceedings conducted to-date by the Fair Work Commission.
She also regularly advocates on behalf of employer interests in other forums including the Modern Awards Review 2023-24, Annual Wage Review 2023-24 and before the Productivity Commission.
Alana holds a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) from the University of Notre Dame and is set to obtain a Master of Laws from the University of Sydney in early 2025.
Notable past appointments include:
- Associate to the Hon Justice Michael Walton of the Supreme Court of NSW (2017-2021).
- Secretary of the NSW Young Lawyers (2022).
- Chair of the NSW Young Lawyers Public Law & Government Committee (2021).
- Member of the Law Society of NSW Public Law Committee (2020-2021).