Tess Hardy

Dr Tess Hardy is an Associate Professor at Melbourne Law School and the Director of the Centre for Employment and Labour Relations Law. Tess is an expert in work regulation and enforcement. She has been the recipient of multiple, competitive grants, led complex, interdisciplinary research projects and worked as a consultant to the International Labour Organisation.

Prior to joining academia, Tess worked as a lawyer and senior associate at a number of national law firms, and large companies, in Melbourne, Tokyo and Hong Kong. Her practice was principally in the area of work law.

Tess holds a Doctorate of Philosophy in Law from Melbourne Law School. Her PhD thesis undertook an empirical examination of collaborative regulatory initiatives between the federal labour inspectorate and a range of non-state actors, including unions, employer associations and lead firms. Tess also holds a Masters of Law, a Bachelor of Law (Hons) and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Melbourne.

In 2017, Tess held a visiting appointment at Magdalen College, Oxford University as part of the Allen Myers Melbourne-Oxford Academic Exchange. She is currently the Editor of the Australian Journal of Labour Law, Vice-President of the Australian Labour Law Association and is a member of the Steering Committee of the Labour Law Research Network.