In a decision further expanding the breadth of flexibility requests, a senior FWC member has "with some hesitation" found that a warehouse's ban on mobile phones falls under the statutory definition of a "working arrangement" that can be changed.
A court has affirmed that a law firm could treat an employee's silence as acceptance to being "furloughed" without pay during the coronavirus pandemic, rejecting his second-round bid to recoup about $50,000 via a small claims application.
The need for legislation to enshrine two days a week of working from home for all employees is "not clear", as many employers and workers have now found a hybrid "sweet spot" without any government intervention, according to the Productivity Commission.
The FWC has found that an employer had no reasonable option other than to dismiss a worker who persistently refused to comply with its hybrid working policy, based on his belief that his employment contract provided an "unconditional" right to work from home.
The proportion of employees working from home in 2023 has hardly eased since the COVID-19 lockdown, with 35% of workers doing some WFH and 15% performing most of their hours away from the office, according to the latest HILDA report.
A leading employment and IR barrister says the four-day working week, working from home and the right to disconnect are part of an unavoidable reorganisation of working hours that is set to become "the big issue of our time".
The Federal Court has today ordered Qantas to pay a $90 million fine - including $50 million to the TWU - for the Flying Kangaroo's unlawful outsourcing of the jobs of about 1800 ground handling employees, while it has criticised chief executive Vanessa Hudson for failing to appear to explain the airline's contrition.
Employers are seeking work-from-home-related changes to the clerks award to make it easier to spread out working hours without requiring penalty rates, remove minimum engagement restrictions and overhaul meal and rest break provisions.
A FWC full bench led by President Adam Hatcher has abruptly ended conciliation of the crucial clerks award WFH case after a "highly regrettable" leak of confidential information to the media, while issuing a broader warning that participants should respect processes conducted behind-closed-doors.
The Productivity Commission will be seeking feedback on soon-to-be-released draft recommendations for next month's economic reform roundtable, as it calls for the adoption of a "growth mindset" to renew Australia's "sputtering" productivity growth.
