In a decision with broad implications for the disability services sector, a care provider has failed to overturn a ruling that a worker who signed two contracts describing her as an independent contractor is in fact an employee capable of suing it for alleged unlawful dismissal.
The FWC has refused a six-day extension for a BCF store manager to challenge her sacking, but indicated that it might have granted it if a doctor who wrote a letter outlining her mental health issues had been called to give evidence.
A senior FWC member has rounded on a national business's HR team for the "crude" and disrespectful process it followed to make one of its own members redundant, suggesting it engage in some "sober reflection".
In a court ruling a major media organisation argues could curtail open justice "in every proceeding", a judge has blocked the release of documents until attempts to reach a mediated settlement in the adverse action case have been exhausted.
The FWC has urged David Jones to improve its retrenchment processes, while opening the way for a long-serving worker to pursue an unfair dismissal case after the department store deemed her unsuitable for redeployment to an area serving "elevated" clientele.
Extending employers' duty of care to the disciplining and sacking of workers would not "frustrate" contractual certainty or disrupt businesses, lawyers for a charity's former consultant have told the High Court.
The FWC has refused to reduce two FIFO workers' redundancy pay, finding that redeployment offers did not amount to "other acceptable employment" because they were given insufficient time to consider roster changes that would also have reduced their time at home.
Paid agent Supportah's failure to return scheduled calls and lodge a worker's unfair dismissal application, along with a family member's death, warranted a three-day extension, the FWC has found.
In a case that yesterday earned a mention in Parliament, the FWC has overlooked an employer's reasons for sacking a volatile employee to find that his own evidence that he was "not right" to return to work because mental health issues justified the dismissal.
