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An employer that sacked a senior executive for muttering "offensive" words during an out-of-hours incident has been ordered to pay him $1.5 million in damages and compensation.

In July 2020, Laing O'Rourke summarily dismissed the commercial leader for breaching its code of conduct, creating an "imminent and serious risk" to its reputation, and lying during a workplace investigation.

Before the Federal Circuit Court, the executive claimed the real reason he was sacked was because he'd made complaints or enquiries about his employment, and he also argued the employer breached his employment contract in dismissing him with immediate effect...