Log in or become a subscriber

A managing director was "clearly involved" in the decision to sack an employee, with whom he was embroiled in a "bitter separation dispute", the Fair Work Commission has found in unfair dismissal proceedings.

The MD's involvement did not necessarily make the dismissal unfair, Commissioner Susie Allison said, but the employer should have taken a "far more thorough" approach to separating him from any decision-making regarding his ex-wife's employment.

Platform One sacked the bookkeeper and business manager in November 2025, a year after her marriage to the nightclub's managing director and majority shareholder broke down.

Its termination letter relied on three serious misconduct allegations, stating the employee had: unilaterally increased her salary without permission; posted a photo exposing her upper body in a work group chat, with a message saying "Enjoy" and a devil emoji; and made an "unauthorised adjustment" to a certificate of capacity issued by her doctor...