Monique Ryan’s chief-of-staff takes her to court for alleging she worked “unreasonable hours”

Independent MP Monique Ryan is being sued by her chief of staff who alleges her boss attempted to fire her when she refused to work “unreasonable hours”.

High-profile teal independent Monique Ryan is facing court action by her chief-of-staff, who claims the MP tried to sack her after just six months when she refused to work additional “unreasonable” hours.

Dr Ryan recruited activist Sally Rugg, the former Change.org executive director and GetUp campaign director, after winning the affluent inner-eastern Melbourne seat of Kooyong from former Liberal treasurer Josh Frydenberg.

But after just six months in the role, Ms Rugg has taken the commonwealth and the member for Kooyong to the Federal Court.

The chief of staff last week filed an originating application over an alleged breach of general protections under the Fair Work Act. MP staff are employed by the Commonwealth, not individual politicians or parties.

Independent MP Monique Ryan is being taken to court by her chief of staff. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Ms Rugg is attempting to stop the Commonwealth from firing her after she pushed back about the hours she was working and is asking the court to find the Commonwealth breached the Fair Work Act.

Court documents lodged in the Federal Court reveal Ms Rugg claims the Commonwealth made “adverse action” against her and denied her the right to refuse to “work additional hours that were unreasonable”.

According to the documents, the Commonwealth attempted to dismiss her effective from January 31.

“The applicant has exercised a workplace right by refusing to work additional hours that were not reasonable, being clause 4 of her contract of employment … and which is a law governing the relationship between employer and employee,” the originating application said.

Ms Rugg alleges the Commonwealth “contravened” the Fair Work Act by attempting to “injure the applicant in her employment by engaging in hostile conduct in the workplace”.

The activist claims she exercised a workplace right by making “complaints and inquiries in relation to her employment”.

Activist Sally Rugg is taking the Commonwealth and MP Monique Ryan to court over an alleged breach of the Fair Work Act. Picture: www.sallyrugg.com

She is also asking the court to order the Commonwealth pay her compensation and pecuniary penalties over the alleged breach of workplace law.

In the documents, Ms Rugg alleges Dr Ryan was the “principal actor” in her claims and is requesting an injunction to stop her from being terminated.

Ms Rugg played a key role in the marriage equality campaign as the campaign director for GetUp between 2013 to 2018.

She also unsuccessfully campaigned for a royal commission into News Corp, alongside former prime minister Kevin Rudd.

In July, Dr Ryan said she was “delighted” to reveal Ms Rugg had joined her team.

“Sally is an outstanding all-rounder with excellent leadership experience, a proven track record of effective policy advocacy, and high level strategic communications skills,” she said.

Dr Ryan was one of the most high profile pro-climate candidates at the 2022 election.

Ms Ryan allegedly attempted to terminate the employment of her chief of staff after just six months. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

In her first speech to parliament, a paediatric neurologist – called on the government to restore faith in politics and act on climate change.

“As a doctor, researcher and scientist, my job has always been to care for children and to protect their futures,” Dr Ryan said.

“I stood for election for the seat of Kooyong because I felt – and the people of Kooyong felt – that our previous government was not doing that.”

She also was among the independent female MPs called for a code of conduct following the recommendations of the Jenkins review into parliament’s toxic workplace culture. The Jenkins review was ordered after the alleged rape of former Coalition ministerial staffer Brittany Higgins. Charges against the man, who strenuously denied the allegations, were not pursued by the DPP

Prominent law firm, Maurice Blackburn, is representing Ms Rugg.

An interlocutory hearing before Federal Court judge Debra Mortimer is listed for 10:15am Friday.

Originally published as Monique Ryan’s chief-of-staff takes her to court for alleging she worked “unreasonable hours”