NewsBite

Unfair dismissal

November

Law firm accused of improper billing and discrimination

A legal assistant alleges he was forcibly made redundant at Lander & Rogers after complaining about appropriate access when he started using a wheelchair.

  • Maxim Shanahan
Adam Rytenskild.

Tabcorp board left CEO with no choice but to quit: Fair Work ruling

The commission’s decision means Adam Rytenskild will now be allowed to bring his unfair dismissal case before it.

  • Max Mason

October

Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt says the delay will allow more consultation.

Labor delays small business IR review until after election

The Albanese government has pushed back its long-promised probe into workplace law exemptions, upsetting employers who had been hoping for imminent relief.

  • David Marin-Guzman
The sacking followed new laws in Western Australia on psychosocial hazards at work.

Sacking for offensive comments was wrong, tribunal rules

A mining worker fired for repeatedly taunting a colleague was judged to be unfairly dismissed as he was not properly trained in psychosocial safety policies.

  • David Marin-Guzman

April

Canva’s offices in Surry Hills, where staff get chef-cooked meals but also face performance grading.

Canva agrees to settle unfair dismissal case from senior engineer

The company initially refused to make any settlement payment to the employee, who had been earning $221,000 a year when he was sacked in January.

  • Nick Bonyhady
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February

Vindicated: Jasmine Chambers outside court in Parramatta during the two-week trial.

BOM exec sacked after Paris trip wins unfair dismissal case

The Federal Circuit Court found the Bureau of Meteorology contravened the Fair Work Act four times in its treatment of senior manager Jasmine Chambers.

  • Samantha Hutchinson

June 2023

The Humpty Doo barramundi farm in the Northern Territory has received $31m from NAIF.

NAIF allegedly broke its own lending rules for barramundi farm

A former employee says that after raising concerns, he was forced out of the government fund so it could avoid being embarrassed while asking for more money.

  • Aaron Weinman

March 2023

The woman, who the Financial Review has chosen not to name for privacy reasons, launched a claim against Bentleys in the Federal Court of Australia.

Accounting firm settles with woman sacked after alleging sexual assault

Bentleys NSW has settled a lawsuit brought by a woman who was fired for failing to return to work after she alleged she was a victim of a sexual assault in firm’s Sydney office.

  • Max Mason
The supervisor was sacked after 16 years’ service while his subordinate got off with a final warning.

Jetstar supervisor fairly sacked over ‘excessively flatulent’ worker

A Jetstar supervisor has lost his claim he was unfairly dismissed for failing to report a subordinate who fondled his genitals and regularly farted in the office.

  • David Marin-Guzman

February 2023

Paul Lederer is the co-owner and chairman of A-League football club Western Sydney Wanderers.

Flight attendant unfairly sacked from billionaire’s private jet

The Fair Work Commission has found the dismissal was unfair because “frozen croissants warmed up” would not have sufficed for the soccer club owner and his wife.

  • David Marin-Guzman

November 2022

Bentleys is facing a new lawsuit in the Federal Court.

Bentleys faces lawsuit over firing woman who alleged sexual assault

The accounting firm is facing legal action after the woman alleged she was a victim of a sexual assault in the company’s Sydney office.

  • Max Mason
Asm Morshed was a candidate for the Greens in a local council election while also working at Barrenjoey.

Barrenjoey’s sacking of Greens candidate tests its values

The investment bank’s dismissal of Asm Mahbub Morshed, who ran for the Greens in a local election, questions a culture encouraging staff to pursue outside interests.

  • Aaron Weinman

February 2022

Fair Work has warned that it doesn’t matter how obscure an employee’s Facebook profile is - if the posts are public they can go viral.

ACTU fired union delegate over Facebook posts

Fair Work has backed the peak union body’s dismissal of an employee because his Facebook posts clashed with its values, finding unions critically rely on their ‘brand’ to score members.

  • David Marin-Guzman

December 2021

The recruiter allegedly burped in the face of a junior colleague and laughed.

Getting sacked for calling boss ‘a wanker’ ruled unfair

Sniping at your boss behind his back and calling him “a wanker” under your breath at a Microsoft Teams meeting is not serious enough to warrant immediate dismissal, Fair Work has found.

  • David Marin-Guzman

June 2021

A Federal Court judge found that Adrian Di Marco stood with the bullies, not the bullied, in an unfair dismissal case.

‘No basis’ for $5.2m industrial relations ruling, TechOne tells court

The software company and its vocal founder Adrian Di Marco are calling for a retrial of an employment law case that has them on the hook for $5.2 million in damages.

  • Hannah Wootton
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May 2021

Andy Hopkins, former CEO of smash repair business AMA.

Smash-repairer expense claims entangle more AMA executives

Claims have been made of invoices being dummied up, but key executives maintain any expenses were approved.

  • Liam Walsh

November 2020

Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright has been ordered to pay over $160,000 in damages after the Federal Court found it deceived a former partner.

Leading law firm slugged $160k for deception

The Federal Court found the local arm of Norton Rose Fulbright had deceived a former partner into dropping a Fair Work claim over his dismissal.

  • Hannah Wootton

July 2020

The decision will make many businesses think twice about lowering employee wages during the pandemic.

COVID-19 wage cuts may be headache for employers

A recent Fair Work Commission decision will make employers think twice about reducing the wages of high income earners below the unfair dismissal threshold.

  • Ronald Mizen

February 2020

Giri Sivaraman says the hierarchical nature of law firms makes speaking out hard.

I'll see you in court: lawyers suit up against their firms

Disgruntled lawyers are taking on some of the country's top law firms in court, alleging bullying, sexual discrimination and unfair dismissal.

  • Hannah Wootton

November 2019

The commission held the CEO's comments to the call centre staff were "deplorable and condescending".

CEO blasted for mocking employee before 'ruthless' sacking

The senior executive allegedly asked the staffer if he felt 'warm and fuzzy' when he requested a support person at a meeting shortly before he was fired.

  • David Marin-Guzman

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/unfair-dismissal-63i