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The Fair Work Commission is planning to require more work upfront from individuals lodging general protections dismissal claims, its President has told a conference.

These claims are one of the largest growth areas in the FWC's workload, President Adam Hatcher said at the recent Australian Industry Group PIR Conference.

Issues include the fact that some paid agents have developed a business model that involves treating GP claims as a substitute for unfair dismissal claims, he said. (Approximately two-thirds of GP-dismissal applications are made by individuals who don't meet the qualifying period for unfair dismissal, he noted.)

Further, the "original intention" was that these claims would go to the Commission for dispute resolution, before going to a Court for determination, but it hasn't worked out that way in practice, President Hatcher said...