The employers of two long-term train drivers who were off work for between 18 months and two years because of health issues were entitled to dismiss them when they were ruled unable to resume driving duties, the Fair Work Commission has found.
In the first full bench ruling on the issue, the Fair Work Commission has found that unfair dismissal applications lodged before a termination of employment takes effect are not automatically invalid and the tribunal has the power to waive any defects in their early filing.
The Fair Work Commission has criticised a major Australian corporation for failing to give enough support to an employee who sought an internal transfer on medical grounds so that he could continue working, despite finding that his dismissal for abusing a manager was not unfair.
The obligation for employers to let employees bring a support person with them to any discussions that could lead to dismissal does not extend to allowing that person to be an advocate, a FWC full bench has confirmed in overturning a ruling by Commissioner John Ryan that an executive director was constructively dismissed.
A full Federal Court has refused to overturn a finding that an employee whose firm was placed in receivership resigned and as such was not entitled to the $273,360 payout he claimed.
The Fair Work Commission has ruled that Subclass 457 visa holders cannot make legally binding employment contracts with employers that are not registered to sponsor them under the Migration Act.
The Fair Work Commission has emphasised that employers can insist workers comply with social media policies that regulate conduct outside the workplace, in upholding the dismissal of an employee who refused to sign an acknowledgement that he had undergone social media training.
A FWC full bench has directed a Jetstar flight attendant to address it on whether it can consider reinstating her in the wake of media reports that South African authorities are seeking to extradite her over allegations of "criminal conduct of the most serious kind".
NSW Public Service Commissioner Graeme Head is seeking to determine why 30% of NSW public sector employees report being bullied in the workplace and almost 50% say they have witnessed it, despite the implementation of a wide range of prevention and management measures.
