Log in or become a subscriber

No amount of turnover in an HR team could explain the "grossly excessive" time it took to act on a recommendation to terminate a suspended employee, the Fair Work Commission has criticised.

In circumstances where the disciplinary process was impacting the employee's wellbeing, the delay and lack of communication "reflects poorly on [the employer] particularly with respect to its own psychosocial safety obligations", Deputy President Judith Wright said.

In unfair dismissal proceedings, the Commission heard the SC Hydro employee, who worked as a mechanical fitter and leading hand on the Snowy 2.0 project, was sacked in January this year for safety breaches.

Specifically, the employer alleged he had failed to follow its permit-to-work and isolation procedures when conducting a pipe inspection. In June 2025 it stood him down pending an investigation and show-cause process...