Who we are

The Employee Relations Co. is a trusted partner for organisations of all sizes — from small businesses and not-for-profits through to large corporates — as well as for individuals needing practical workplace support.

We bring decades of experience across employment law, industrial relations, workplace investigations, bargaining, contracts, and compliance. Our focus is on clear, commercially sound solutions that help leaders and employees navigate complex workplace challenges.

Whether it’s enterprise bargaining, award interpretation, workplace change, or conflict resolution, we provide independent, expert guidance. We combine strategic HR and ER insights with hands-on experience, ensuring our clients are supported in protecting their people and their business.

Gavan Dunne is the founder and principal of The Employee Relations Co., bringing over two decades of international HR and Industrial Relations leadership across Australia, the USA, Europe, and Asia.

His career spans leadership in major infrastructure, energy, and resources projects, including Snowy 2.0, and he has guided organisations through mergers, acquisitions, enterprise bargaining, and complex workforce transformations.

Gavan specialises in:

  • Board-level HR and people strategy — including culture, performance, and governance diagnostics

  • Remuneration and reward frameworks, including committee support and benchmarking

  • Enterprise bargaining and award interpretation, navigating union and stakeholder engagement

  • Executive succession planning and talent insights to strengthen organisational capability

  • Diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives that deliver measurable impact

  • Strategic briefings on legislation and workforce trends to keep leaders ahead of change

  • Workplace investigations, conflict resolution, and compliance in complex industrial environments

Gavan combines practical legal and industrial expertise with a commercial, people-focused approach. Through The Employee Relations Co., he delivers strategic insight and hands-on support to organisations of all sizes — from small businesses and not-for-profits through to multinational enterprises — as well as individuals seeking guidance in workplace matters.

Three women sitting at a conference table in a meeting room, engaged in discussion and smiling. One woman has gray hair, glasses, and is wearing a black top, while the other two women have brown hair and are wearing a blue blazer and a white top. There are sticky notes and a whiteboard in the background.
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