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The employer of a manager who believed she was pushed out of her job was in fact "anxious" to retain her and help her become a better leader, the Fair Work Commission has found.

Rejecting that the manager was constructively dismissed, Deputy President Ian Masson found the employer's decision to change her reporting lines was driven by its "genuine and balanced concern" for both the manager's development and an incoming subordinate's psychological safety.

The Commission heard that in June last year, two Freight Victoria directors advised the manager that a project officer role, which reported to her, was instead going to reside in the commercial ports team for a 12-month period.

The directors said the change was based on feedback from project officers in 2022 and 2024 regarding the manager's leadership. One said the manager wasn't "available" to provide her with advice; the other was upset with how the manager raised performance issues with him...