"Diffuse" employment-related decision-making processes in sprawling corporations pose a particular challenge for those trying to establish they have been dismissed for prohibited reasons, according to a federal court judge.
A school counsellor sacked for failing to comply with COVID-19 mandates claims her principal emailed an IEU official to lament that she had sought direction from a "red" union instead of following his "excellent" advice.
The FWC has held that an aged care employer acted "prematurely" in dismissing an unvaccinated employee barred by state health orders from attending the workplace, finding no reason why he could not have continued to work from home as he had done for almost two years.
The FWC has upheld the sacking of a chef despite scant evidence he made discriminatory remarks, finding his failure to follow a HR manager's instructions constituted a valid reason and WorkCover certificates from a "malleable" doctor severely compromised his credibility.
A tribunal has detailed an "extraordinary" admission by power giant Ausgrid that managers were not interviewed about common practices during an internal investigation into alleged timesheet fraud.
The FWC has ordered costs against a paid agent because it failed to drop a dismissal claim after it settled and attempted to pin its delay on what the tribunal found to be its client's unambiguous instructions.
A court has thrown out an adverse action case pursued by an Aldi truck driver sacked for refusing a psychological assessment, noting he might have been better off making an unfair dismissal claim.
The FWC has reinstated a Gold Coast bus driver who ejected a passenger for telling her to "F-ck off Karen" after she implored him to wear his face mask properly, finding also that making a call on her smart watch did not breach the employer's mobile phone policy.
The NSW IRC has upheld the sacking of a prison officer who assaulted a colleague outside work, observing that the victim's evidence should not be "impugned" just because she remained in an abusive relationship.
