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Despite failing to help a manager deal with a "complicated" parental leave situation, an employer has proved it didn't take unlawful adverse action against an employee, the Federal Circuit Court has ruled.

The employee's sense of ill-treatment and betrayal was "entirely justified", Judge Lisa Doust said, but her employment ended because of "shoddy management", not because of her pregnancy or family responsibilities.

The employee was a part-time crew member at Burger Urge's Forster store, between March 2024 and late August that year, when she stopped working shortly before her baby was due to arrive.

In adverse action proceedings, the employee told the Court she had multiple conversations with an assistant manager in June and July, about her intention to take unpaid parental leave for six months before returning to her role...