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Employee who persisted with "hopeless" claims must pay costs

After rejecting multiple settlement offers and pursuing seven claims despite being on notice of their flaws, an employee has to pay a portion of her employer's "considerable" legal costs.

Certain aspects of the employee's actions, in pursuing the proceedings all the way to a final Federal Court hearing, amounted to unreasonable conduct that warranted a costs order, Justice Craig Colvin found.

The Department of Human Services employee had commenced two separate proceedings, in July and August 2022, relating to various complaints she'd raised while employed by Centrelink and the Child Support Agency.

Among her claims were that the employer took adverse action against her after she raised bullying concerns, including by investigating her own behaviour, and that the people and culture team had characterised her as a "vexatious complainant"...

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