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When social media posts caused an employer to doubt the validity of an employee's personal leave, it was entitled to seek further information, a commission has ruled in discrimination proceedings.

The posts were, on their face, inconsistent with the employee's stated reasons for taking time off, and the employer's actions were consistent with the Fair Work Act's personal leave provisions, Queensland Industrial Relations Commission Deputy President Catherine Hartigan said.

The DTM Timber truck driver had claimed the employer, its general manager and its CEO directly discriminated against him on the basis of his family responsibilities, when they: questioned his reliability; failed to allocate him work on his return from leave; and forced him to resign.

The Commission heard the employee went on carer's leave in early September 2021, after his wife had ankle surgery...