Lisa Steere: Yarra City Council gym manager sacked for ‘serious’ dishonesty

A long serving Yarra City Council fitness boss has lost her job after she doctored internal records in a ‘serious breach’ of her duties.

A senior Yarra City City Council staffer doctored internal council records in a “serious breach” of her duties managing more than 100 gym and pool staff.

Lisa Steere was previously the council’s top gym instructor, until she was busted altering internal records to allow her to keep taking classes without a valid first aid qualification.

The Fair Work Commission last week rejected her unfair dismissal claim, finding she went into a council computer database and changed the records in a deliberate act of dishonesty, rather than as a mistake.

The commission found Ms Steere took fitness classes in late 2019, after her first aid certificate had lapsed, in a “serious breach” of her employment obligations.

All staff members at council gyms were required to have first aid and CPR qualifications.

“To have done so was unacceptable from someone holding a leadership position with responsibility for keeping current and accurate records of the qualifications of all fitness instructors,” deputy president Richard Clancy said.

Yarra City Council sacked a senior staff member for a pattern of dishonesty. Picture: Supplied

Deputy president Clancy backed a decision by the council’s chief executive to sack Ms Steere immediately, after an internal investigation found she had “demonstrated a lack of responsibility, accountability and a pattern of unacceptable behaviour” when she failed to keep her qualifications up-to-date, failed to tell management her qualifications had lapsed, ignored automated reminders to update them, doctored internal council records and took fitness classes without a valid qualification.

Ms Steere had worked for the council for a decade, and unsuccessfully argued being sacked was overly harsh because job prospects for fitness instructors had tanked since the beginning of the pandemic.

Ms Steere also unsuccessfully argued a council staff member had been “out to get” her.

The council argued Ms Steere’s actions were deliberate, dishonest, and that she failed to show any contrition or remorse.

The commission found Ms Steere was “not a convincing witness”, and “did not provide a consistent version of events”.

“Ms Steere did not meet (her) various obligations,” the commission found.

“Ms Steere also had an obligation not to mislead Yarra and yet she made an entry that indicated she had a current first aid qualification when this was not the case.

“By then going on to take the group fitness classes, Ms Steere exposed Yarra to the potentially serious and unacceptable risks …”

Ms Steere also exposed the council’s gyms losing their industry accreditations and exposed the council to potential legal liabilities, the commission found.