The FWC has called on employers to introduce a greater range of disciplinary options like fines and unpaid suspensions into agreements to avoid "inappropriately lenient or inappropriately harsh" responses to misconduct that are problematic for all parties concerned.
The FWC has refused to issue orders to suppress the identity of individuals involved in a heated dispute over "illicit" posts on Facebook and other websites.
An FWC full bench has lifted confidentiality orders on a fiery dispute between the UFU and Melbourne's Metropolitan Fire Board over a firefighter's allegedly offensive Facebook comments, finding that parties to the dispute must accept the consequences of open justice regardless of any embarrassment that might ensue.
The FWC has criticised a company for fundamental failures of due process in a dismissal overseen by its HR function and warned that treating workers as human resources runs the risk of ignoring that they are "easily damaged" human beings "and when faulty they should be handled with more care than machines".
As Murdoch University continues to press for termination of its enterprise agreement, its lawyers say an FWC decision upholding the sacking of an employee who used his work email to send abusive messages to the ABS illustrates the deal's outdated provisions.
A tribunal has upheld the sacking of a general manager's personal assistant for storing more than 1200 inappropriate and pornographic emails in a "funny emails" folder, but has compensated her because it was harsh.
An FWC full bench has ordered a re-examination of the sacking of a worker for his "nonchalance" towards OHS obligations, lack of contrition after a workplace mishap and failure to wear safety glasses.
Information Commissioner Tim Pilgrim has upheld Australia Post's decision to deny a former worker access to internal documents he sought after allegedly hearing from a HR manager that two senior employees would be disciplined for "inappropriate comments" about him.
Airservices Australia was entitled to dismiss a firefighter keeping watch at a major airport's fire control centre for continuing to film a simulation of himself making music on an electronic device as an alarm sounded, the FWC has found.
The FWC has awarded $6,000 compensation to a travelling salesperson who was unfairly dismissed for making a "crude" and "immature" Facebook post suggesting a woman provided s-xual favours to her boss to win a promotion.
