In the first fully contested Federal Court case to consider new s-xual harassment protections in the Fair Work Act, a judge has relied heavily on a FIFO apprentice's dinnertime revelation to her parents that her supervisor asked her for a "bl-w job" to find he s-xually harassed her.
A recruiter has failed to win $50,000 compensation from Bluescope Steel for allegedly sacking him following his complaints about being bullied by its HR team, after a judge took into account that he had previously lied to the FWC and "embellished" his résumé.
A prospective migrant living in Egypt has won limited document discovery against an Australian charity running a refugee employment program, in a race bias complaint alleging there is "a stark disparity" between its placements for South Sudanese and other candidates.
A judge has rejected a former employee's $2 million-plus compensation claim after finding her unlawful sacking was not "the cause or even a material contributing cause" of an alleged psychological injury and that she would have lost her job anyway within months.
A former FWO chief counsel-turned judge has taken an axe to the workplace regulator's belief in penalties as a general deterrent, expressing astonishment at its "staggering" pursuit of a $21,000 fine against an employer who quickly coughed up a $976 underpayment once a junior worker provided proof of their age.
A labour law academic says a UN World Court finding that workers' right to strike is protected might revive ILO scrutiny of the extent to which the Fair Work Act "over-restricts" protected action, while a lawyer says it might "change the trajectory" of IR litigation and reform.
An alleged whistleblower's explosive allegations against franchising business Jim's Group may be headed for hearing, after a court gave him an extension of time and let him file an amended claim.
Stevedore DP World has warded off an attempt by employees to claim a place on three-member panels charged with resolving disputes about automation roll-outs at four ports, when one spot is already filled by the MUA.
A small business owner and his company must pay more than $125,000 in compensation after a court found he s-xually harassed a 20-year-old worker with disabilities by asking about her fantasies and whether they would have s-x if they were dating.