Log in or become a subscriber

An employee sacked for making a highly offensive comment about a coworker has lost her unfair dismissal claim, despite arguing she was "simply discussing work colleagues in the company of friends".

It was unfair for the employer to find she'd engaged in misconduct before speaking to her, but the seriousness of the employee's comment outweighed any procedural deficiencies, Commissioner Jennifer Hunt said.

The manager of Brisbane Deutscher Turn-Verein (the Brisbane German Club) suspended the club's hostess and restaurant supervisor with pay in May last year and asked her to attend a show-cause meeting to discuss allegations of misconduct...