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A formal policy wasn't required for an employee to know that punctuality was important, but sacking him for being late to work "occasionally" was harsh, the Fair Work Commission has found.

While accepting he didn't have a perfect attendance record, Commissioner Pearl Lim found dismissal was a disproportionate response to the employee's lateness and absences.

Sports Warehouse Australia dismissed the retail senior team member in September last year, stating in its letter that he had been warned "on several occasions" to arrive on time. It also relied on unexplained absences, and referred to the employee "consistently" using his phone at work, in its termination reasons...