A FWC presidential member has recused himself from re-hearing an agreement variation case after observing that a bystander, "recognising human frailty", might appreciate his disinclination to reach different conclusions based on the same set of facts.
As a leading employer-clientele lawyer hosed down fears about WFH "chaos" in the wake of the recent Chandler decision, the Greens have introduced legislation giving employees the right to work remotely for at least two days a week unless fulfilling their roles is "impractical or impossible".
Artificial intelligence "has its downsides" but has largely lifted the quality of self-represented litigants' submissions to the FWC, while improving their access to justice, a senior member told last week's NSW IR Society Newcastle branch annual conference
AI-driven customer service aids such as chatbots are a "standard feature" in the private sector and government organisations like the FWC should be no different, according to its president, who is planning to roll out artificial intelligence to serve users more efficiently and at lower cost.
Faced with "simply unsustainable" growth in its caseload, the FWC is seeking to improve efficiency, starting with general protections cases involving dismissals, up by 27% over five years, partly on the back of paid agents using them as a "substitute" for unfair sacking claims, the tribunal's president said today.
The FWC has thrown out a worker's unfair dismissal claim after he threatened his employer's chief executive with a "double tap to the head", disobeyed FWC directions and sent the employer more than 200 emails in a single week containing "nonsense" and further menaces.
A senior FWC member has rejected a costs claim, observing that with rising numbers of self-represented applicants using the tribunal to pursue grievances, its directions are "not always treated with the same reverence and compliance" as in other forums.
The National Construction Industry Forum has today unanimously endorsed a reform blueprint for the building and construction industry that pushes for the Albanese Government to give the FWC and FWO dispute resolution and enforcement powers.
The FWC is introducing reforms to tackle a blowout in general protections claims and the paid agents using them as a "business model", while it is also incorporating AI into major aspects of its work, according to its President, Adam Hatcher.
