The FWC has rejected a long-serving worker's portrayal of herself as a "victim" of powerful HR forces, finding her displeasure at being asked to account for money raised for a deceased colleague's family led her into serious misconduct.
More than half of private sector clerks included in a survey to inform a possible coronavirus-driven award variation have been working from home since the middle of last year and almost three quarters of employers intend to let them continue doing so at least some of the time.
The FWC has ordered an aged care provider to restore leave days to employees it directed to stay away from work over COVID-19 transmission fears, observing "it's just the right thing to do".
In a case likely to be closely watched by employers considering mandatory coronavirus vaccinations, the FWC will probe whether Ozcare unfairly sacked a long serving care assistant who refused a compulsory flu shot on allergy grounds, while the Commission has also weighed-in on the contentious issue of compulsory jabs for Santas.
IR Minister Christian Porter says that talks will soon start with employers and unions to work through the complex legal and workplace safety issues surrounding the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines.
An ABC makeup artist who claims her Lyme disease makes it unsafe to wear an anti-coronavirus mask and wants to instead don a shield is suing the broadcaster for discriminatory adverse action after it allegedly removed her from its roster.
The FWC has found employers are not obliged to keep workers on the payroll because of JobKeeper's availability, but has awarded a manager compensation for unfair dismissal that included 24 weeks of the job subsidy, because retaining him would have been "entirely consistent" with the scheme's objectives.
If the FWC incorporates loaded rates in hospitality and retail awards after a referral from IR Minister Christian Porter, it is likely to involve a range of such rates rather than a single one, the tribunal's president indicated in a statement today.
Griffith University's Professor David Peetz has warned employers to consult their workers before implementing post-COVID-19 workplace changes or risk turning "disorder into chaos", ahead of today's repeal of NSW public health orders requiring organisations to allow employees to perform their duties from home.
