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Alleged bullying by two managers while an employee was on leave didn't occur while he was "at work", but in any case the conduct wasn't unreasonable or repeated, the Fair Work Commission has found, in refusing to make a stop-bullying order.

"It is unfortunate that the [employee] has seen fit to waste the Commission's time with what is, in my view, a spiteful campaign against [his manager] fuelled by a series of pedantic complaints and an unwavering belief that he must be right," Deputy President Nicholas Lake said.

"The [employee] seems to believe that any action by a manager which he does not like is bullying. That is not what bullying is," he added.

The employee started working for Telstra 36 years ago, and in September 2024 he sustained a work-related psychological injury, which led to a reduction in both his duties and his working hours.

In April last year he was certified by his treating practitioner as wholly incapacitated for work, and he hasn't returned since...