Frequently Asked Questions

Daniel Holbrook personally. Brookvale HR Solutions is a sole-practitioner consultancy. There is no team, no junior handoff, and no account manager layer. Every conversation, every document, and every recommendation comes directly from Daniel. Learn more about Daniel’s background and qualifications on the About page.

Yes. Daniel works with businesses across Australia. Advisory, policy development, and compliance work is delivered remotely via phone, email, and video. Onsite visits are available for Brisbane-based clients on the HR Manager retainer plan. View all retainer options on the Products and Pricing page.

Brookvale HR Solutions has delivered HR consulting across dozens of industries including defence, education, manufacturing, professional services, not-for-profit, sports, and hospitality, among others. Learn more on the About page.

Engagements typically begin within 48 hours of booking a strategy call. For urgent matters such as workplace investigations or formal complaints, Daniel aims to respond same-day. Call 1300 23 44 23 for the fastest path, or visit the Contact page.

Yes. Brookvale HR Solutions carries both professional indemnity and public liability insurance. Certificates of currency are available on request.

All engagements are conducted under a written confidentiality undertaking. Records are stored securely, access is limited to Daniel, and investigation findings are shared only with the parties agreed at the outset.

Ad-hoc advisory is $250 per hour, billed in 15-minute increments. Retainer plans start at $1,000 per month (HR Partner) or $4,000 per month (HR Manager). Fixed-fee products range from $950 to $12,500 depending on scope. All prices are exclusive of GST. View the full pricing structure on the Products and Pricing page.

No. Every retainer plan is month-to-month with no lock-in contracts. Cancel at any time with one month’s notice. Fixed-fee products are priced per engagement with no ongoing obligation.

The $1,500 audit fee is fully credited toward any follow-on work with Brookvale HR Solutions. If Daniel identifies gaps during the audit and you engage Brookvale HR Solutions to address them, the audit effectively costs nothing. This model connects the assessment directly to the solution. Learn more on the HR Compliance Audit page.

No. The 30-minute strategy call is free and without obligation. It’s a conversation to understand your situation and determine whether Brookvale HR Solutions is the right fit. Book the call now on the Contact page.

The audit covers employment contracts, policies and procedures, onboarding documentation, performance management frameworks, termination procedures, leave entitlements, WHS obligations, and record keeping. Daniel delivers a detailed report with prioritised recommendations within 10 business days. Learn more on the HR Compliance Audit page.

Certain policies are legally required under the Fair Work Act, WHS legislation, and the positive duty framework under the Sex Discrimination Act. Others are best practice but strongly recommended. The HR Health Check identifies which policies your business may be missing.

Penalties vary by obligation, and the Fair Work Act distinguishes between civil and criminal contraventions.

For underpayment contraventions by non-small-business employers, civil penalties under the Fair Work Act are up to $109,200 per contravention for an individual and $546,000 for a body corporate, or three times the underpayment amount (whichever is greater). For serious contraventions, those figures rise tenfold, up to $1,092,000 for an individual and $5,460,000 for a body corporate.

Since 1 January 2025, intentional underpayment is also a criminal offence under the Fair Work Act (the “wage theft” regime introduced by the Closing Loopholes reforms). Maximum criminal penalties are up to 10 years imprisonment for individuals plus fines up to $1.82 million for individuals or $9.1 million for body corporates (or three times the underpayment, whichever is greater).

Directors and managers can face personal accessorial liability under the Fair Work Act for wage compliance failures, and separate personal-liability regimes apply to officers under WHS legislation. The HR Compliance Audit identifies the gaps that trigger these penalties before they reach a regulator; book an audit at /pricing/hr-compliance-audit/. The Paying Correctly scenario page explains the current wage compliance landscape in more detail.

A single-allegation investigation typically takes 2 to 4 weeks. Multi-allegation investigations take 4 to 8 weeks depending on complexity and witness availability. Daniel provides a timeline estimate after the initial briefing. Learn more on the Workplace Investigations page.

Daniel holds a Certificate IV in Government Investigations (nationally recognised), an MBA, and brings prior experience as a former Military Police Officer conducting investigations in disciplinary and criminal matters. The Certificate IV in Government Investigations is the standard qualification for workplace investigators in Australia. Daniel has conducted investigations across dozens of industries. Learn more on the About page.

Single-allegation investigations are $5,000. Multi-allegation investigations are $12,500. Both are fixed fees, not hourly, so the cost is known before the investigation begins. Learn more on the Workplace Investigations page.

Nothing specific. The strategy call is exploratory. If you have a particular issue or document you want to discuss, you are welcome to share it beforehand, but it is not required. Daniel will guide the conversation based on your situation.

Daniel will provide a tailored proposal outlining scope, deliverables, pricing, and timeline. Engagement begins once the proposal is accepted. There is no upfront payment for retainer plans, and fixed-fee products are invoiced at commencement.

Yes, and it’s the most common starting point. Many businesses begin with the HR Compliance Audit, then transition to a retainer once the audit identifies the work that needs doing. The $1,500 audit fee is credited in full against any follow-on engagement, so the audit effectively costs nothing once you move to ongoing support.